PATRIOT PARK /Moscow Region/, August 16. /TASS/. The military leadership of the Republic of Mali is interested in developing and strengthening military-technical cooperation with Russia, Dmitry Shugayev, director of the Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSVTS), told TASS.

"As for interaction with Mali: first of all, military-technical cooperation between our countries is carried out on the basis of an intergovernmental agreement signed back in March 2003. <..> The military leadership of the Republic of Mali declares its interest in developing and strengthening military-technical cooperation with Russia," he said at the Army-2023 Forum.

According to Shugayev, the Malian army has a significant amount of Soviet-made military equipment in service. "Russian specialists are helping to train Malian servicemen, which has a positive impact on the quality of operation of the available equipment," the official added.

The Army-2023 International Military-Technical Forum is being held at the Patriot Congress and Exhibition Center, the Alabino training ground and the Kubinka airfield outside Moscow on August 14-20. About 1,500 leading companies of the Russian defense industry, as well as 85 foreign companies and organizations from seven countries are taking part in the exhibition and business program. The forum is organized by the Russian Defense Ministry. TASS is the forum’s strategic media partner.