- Tuggar meets with country’s delegation in Niamey
Nigeria has began peace moves with the Niger Republic as a Nigerian delegation meet with their Nigerien counterparts met in Niamey on Wednesday, in a move to restore the damaged bilateral ties between the two neighbours.
Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, arrived in Niamey on Tuesday, leading a high-level delegation aimed at restoring and strengthening diplomatic relations between Nigeria and the Republic of Niger.
The visit marks a significant step in mending ties strained since the July 2023 coup in Niger.
Tuggar delivered a special message from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to General Abdourahamane Tchiani, the Head of State of the Republic of Niger, Daily Trust gathered.
The Nigerian delegation included senior diplomats, policy advisers, and defence liaison officers.
It was learnt that discussions covered critical issues such as security cooperation, regional trade, economic development, and crossborder collaboration.
A communique issued by the two parties said the discussions took place in a climate of great cordiality and provided an opportunity for an in-depth examination of the challenges facing the two countries and major current issues at the sub-regional, regional, and international levels.
“The two countries deliberated on various issues of mutual interest that would foster closer relations amongst the people and government of Niger and Nigeria. Some of the concerns raised were the renewed commitment to revitalise the Nigeria-Niger Joint Commission (NNJC), which would further consolidate the gains made so far,” the statement jointly signed by Tuggar and Niger’s Foreign Minister, Bakary Yaou Sangaré, said.
Furthermore, the two parties emphasised the need to strengthen economic cooperation, especially in operationalisation of crossborder markets, trade and energy, the Kano-Katsina-Jibiya-Maradi railway, the construction of the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline, Trans-Saharan Highway, TransSaharan Fiber Optic, Bilateral Air Services, local bilateral committees, micro-diplomacy, tariffs and taxes, desertification, good neighborliness policies, migration, tourism, education, new information and communication technologies, agriculture and livestock farming, and infrastructure.
In this regard, the two ministers agreed to cooperate and follow up on these issues through the NNJC as soon as possible.
Also, during their discussions, the two ministers welcomed the quality of the relations of fraternity, friendship, cooperation, and good neighborliness that bind Niger and Nigeria, and reaffirmed their shared desire to boost and energise bilateral cooperation between the two countries, to raise it to the level of their ambitions and the legitimate expectations of their respective peoples.
@Daily Trust
