Türkiye and Niger have signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at boosting economic ties, particularly in the mining sector. The deal was signed on Tuesday during a meeting between a government delegation from Niger and Turkish officials in Istanbul.
The visit by Niger's officials, led by the West African country's Minister of Mining Abarchi Ousmane, was part of efforts to strengthen bilateral relations.
"I believe that with the signing, our ongoing cooperation in the field of mining will be carried to further stages," Türkiye's Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar said after the signing of the deal.
"I hope this agreement, which will support the development of both countries, will be beneficial for our countries," he added in a post on X.
Bayraktar stressed that Türkiye will cooperate with Niger "on mineral exploration and exploitation."
Historical ties
The deal is expected to expand cooperation to support sustainable development through the mining sectors of both countries and encourage Turkish public and private sector companies to operate in the mining sector in Niger.
The visit by Niger's officials comes barely three months after a similar visit by Turkish officials, where Türkiye's Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar held a meeting with his Niger’s counterpart in Niamey.
During the meeting in July, which also had Niger's Minister of Petroleum Mahaman Moustapha Barké and Minister of Energy Amadou Haoua in attendance, the two countries signed the "Declaration of Will on Cooperation in the Field of Oil and Natural Gas."
Türkiye and Niger have historical and cultural ties since the Ottoman era. The two countries have recently stepped up efforts to boost ties.
This comes as Western countries, including the former colonial power France, the US and Germany, continue to lose ground in Africa's Sahel region, where there have been changes of governments since 2020.
Several countries in the region, notably Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, have broken ties with the West and are embracing new partners in economic and security fields, with Türkiye being one of the favourites.
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