The President of the ECOWAS Commission, H.E. General Birame Diop, on Friday, 11 September 2026,   received the Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Nigeria, Mr. Igor Ivannikov, who led a high-level Russian delegation on a courtesy visit to the ECOWAS Commission Headquarters in Abuja.

During the meeting, Mr. Ivannikov conveyed a congratulatory letter from the Russian Ambassador to Nigeria, H.E. Andrey Podyolyshev, to President Diop on his assumption of office as President of the ECOWAS Commission for a four-year term. The Ambassador also conveyed his best wishes to President Diop and his team for a successful tenure and reaffirmed Russia’s interest in maintaining bilateral engagement with the ECOWAS Commission.

Mr. Ivannikov further delivered a formal invitation from the President of the Russian Federation, H.E. Vladimir Putin, inviting President Diop to participate in the 3rd Russia–Africa Summit, scheduled to take place in October 2026 in Moscow, Russian Federation.

The Summit is expected to provide an important platform for further advancing Russia–Africa relations and strengthening engagement between the Russian Federation and African regional institutions, including ECOWAS.

Discussions around the Summit are expected to focus on priority areas of cooperation, including trade and investment, energy and food security, infrastructure development, science and technology, artificial intelligence, pharmaceuticals, education, cultural exchanges and security cooperation.

As part of efforts to establish a more structured framework for engagement, an ECOWAS–Russia Partnership Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and a joint declaration are expected to be concluded.

In his response, President Diop expressed appreciation to the Government of the Russian Federation and welcomed its continued interest in strengthening relations with ECOWAS.

The President underscored the importance of international partnerships that are anchored in mutual respect, shared interests and tangible outcomes for the peoples of West Africa.

 “ECOWAS welcomes partnerships that are anchored in mutual respect, shared interests and tangible outcomes for our peoples. We are committed to engaging with the Russian Federation and other international partners in areas that advance peace and security, regional integration, economic growth and sustainable development in West Africa.”

President Diop emphasised that partnerships with international partners should contribute meaningfully to the priorities and aspirations of the West African region, particularly in the areas of regional integration, peace and security, economic development, trade and investment, infrastructure, human capital development, technology and innovation.

He further highlighted the importance of identifying practical areas of cooperation that can support sustainable growth, strengthen regional resilience and improve the socio-economic well-being of the peoples of West Africa.

Both sides acknowledged the importance of sustained high-level dialogue and agreed on the need to explore practical and mutually beneficial areas of cooperation capable of delivering tangible results for the peoples of West Africa and contributing to broader African development objectives.

The meeting underscored the shared interest of ECOWAS and the Russian Federation in deepening engagement and developing a more structured partnership based on mutual respect, common interests and concrete outcomes.

The courtesy visit forms part of the ECOWAS Commission’s ongoing diplomatic engagements with international partners aimed at strengthening cooperation and mobilising support for peace, stability, regional integration and sustainable economic development across West Africa.