NAIROBI, January 24. /TASS/. Chadian Transitional President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno will prioritize security issues in his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, news magazine Jeune Afrique reported.

The magazine notes that although French army units are still stationed in Chad, the country's armed forces are mostly equipped with vehicles from Eastern Europe and Russia.

Despite the "international political context" and the situation in Ukraine, the two countries "realize that they must maintain a high level of military cooperation," the magazine said. According to Jeune Afrique, security issues will be high on the agenda during the two leaders’ talks.

According to one of the publication’s sources, an unnamed diplomat serving in N'Djamena, the Chadian leader realizes that it is imperative to maintain friendly relations with Russia. "Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, just like his father Idriss Deby Itno (president of Chad in 1990-2021 - TASS), realizes that Russia has become an invaluable player in the region due to its impact on the Central African Republic, the Sahel region, Mali, Burkina Faso, and now also Niger," the diplomat said, adding that "the head of state should maintain friendly diplomatic relations, not permitting the country to get involved in the Russia-West confrontation."

According to Jeune Afrique, Chad’s aspiration to maintain good diplomatic relations with Moscow is especially important amid the upcoming presidential election in the African nation. Thus, a source close to the opposition notes that "Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno expects to demonstrate that he is not tied to the French and that he can distance himself from France's desires by getting closer to Russia through this visit to Moscow."

The day before, the Kremlin press service reported that Putin will hold talks with his Chadian counterpart, who will pay an official visit to Moscow on January 24. The leaders plan to discuss prospects for the development of Russian-Chadian relations in various areas, as well as issues on the regional and international agenda, the Kremlin reported.