The Nigerien National Defence Minister Alkassoum Indatou says Niger will continue its "beneficial" military cooperation with Russia.

He made the statement after an audience with the Russian Ambassador to Niger, Igor Gromyko, accompanied by the head of the Russian military mission in Niger.

According to Indatou, the discussions focused on the development of bilateral cooperation in the military field, stressing that more than a hundred Nigerien officers have received training in Russia and that "several aircraft used by the Nigerien Air Force in the fight against terrorism is also Russian-made.

A former French colony, Niger has been facing terrorist attacks since 2015 in its regions of Diffa (southeast), Tahoua (northwest) and Tillabéri (west). These attacks are carried out by Boko Haram and groups operating in northern Mali.

In recent times, the strengthening of military cooperation between Russia and some French-speaking African countries has caused concern in Paris.

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