"The mission was closed in 1992," stated Alexei Saltykov, the Russian ambassador to Ivory Coast. He mentioned that Russian President Vladimir Putin would appoint the new envoy.
The Burkinabe foreign ministry affirmed in a statement, "Russia formally reopened its embassy this Thursday in Ouagadougou."
Saltykov added that he would lead the mission in Burkina Faso until the new ambassador is appointed, expressing that Burkina Faso is "an old partner with whom we have solid and friendly ties."
In the previous year, Burkina Faso witnessed two military coups, partly triggered by discontent over failures to curb a jihadist insurgency. Since assuming power in September 2022, the ruling junta has distanced itself from France, its historical partner and former colonial power, and has moved closer to Russia.
In October, Burkina Faso inked a deal with Russia for the construction of a nuclear power plant to enhance the energy supply to the Sahel country, where less than a quarter of the population has access to electricity.
