Türkiye and Niger signed Wednesday a declaration of intent envisaging cooperation in the energy field, notably in the field of oil and natural gas, a top official announced during the visit to the African country.
"Following our contacts in Niamey, we signed a declaration of intent with Niger's Minister of Petroleum, Mr. Mahaman Moustapha Barke, that will contribute to the strengthening of relations between the two countries regarding oil and natural gas fields," Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
"With the declaration of intent, we aim to support and encourage Turkish companies in the development of oil and natural gas fields in Niger," he added.
With the signed declaration, it is planned to increase the dialogue between the relevant institutions and companies of the two countries.
The minister, along with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, National Defense Minister Yaşar Güler and National Intelligence Organization (MIT) chief Ibrahim Kalin, was in Niger on Wednesday for high-level talks, discussing the cooperation spanning from economic ties to counterterrorism.
The visit is another phase in Türkiye’s transformation of relations with African countries and the first of its kind since a government change in that country last year.
The ministers first met with Nigerien Prime Minister Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine at a working meeting. Following the meeting, Bayraktar held a meeting with the Nigerien Minister of Mines Abarchi Ousmane, Minister of Petroleum Mahaman Moustapha Barke and Minister of Energy Amadou Haoua.
The Turkish delegation then met with Gen. Abdurrahmane Tchiani, who has been leading the country since the change of government last year.
The new administration, led by Tchiani, has since severed nearly all ties with its Western allies. It is now working to establish new alliances and relationships to foster the country's political and economic development.
The change in Niger's administration, which had been considered one of the West's closest allies in Africa, has most significantly affected its relations with former colonial ruler France, which was left withdrawing its remaining troops there last August.
The Turkish foreign minister, as part of his remarks, said that in addition to many issues they covered during the meeting, they also "discussed enhancing cooperation in the areas of economy and finance."
"Various topics were addressed, including increasing the number of Turkish investors, contracting services and strengthening the contractual basis of trade," Fidan told reporters in Niamey.
Noting that they had productive discussions on the issues of energy and mining, he noted they agreed to develop cooperation and increase investments.
Niger has Africa's highest-grade uranium ores and it is also the world's seventh-biggest producer of uranium. But Ankara is not seeking to buy uranium from Niger for its first nuclear power plant being built by Russia's Rosatom at Akkuyu in the country's Mediterranean region, a Turkish diplomatic source said.
"We discussed what could be done to advance the defense industry and intelligence capacity within the framework of counterterrorism in Niger, as we have done in Somalia," said Fidan.
"We also discussed what steps we will take against terrorism, which is the main source of instability in the Sahel region," he added.
Noting that Türkiye maintains embassies in 44 out of 54 African countries, Fidan said: "Our partnership policy with Africa is progressing and becoming more institutionalized every day. Our joint efforts with African countries in areas such as diplomacy, economy, finance, security, defense, education and health are intensifying."
He underlined that Türkiye's historical ties with Niger date back to the time of the Ottoman Empire and that Turkish officials have been working in recent years to place bilateral ties on a more structural footing.
"As we develop our relations with Africa, we are implementing initiatives that prioritize the benefit and welfare of the local people, our brothers."
"Peace, security and stability in Africa are also among our priorities. As you know, the problems of instability and terrorism in the Sahel region have become increasingly chronic," he added.
Fidan said they discussed many issues including counterterrorism, education, energy, health, trade, security and defense while in the West African nation. He added that as a delegation, they met with the country's prime minister, ministers and heads of institutions.
They also held three working groups, where detailed discussions on foreign policy, security, defense, energy and mining, economy, and trade took place, said the Turkish foreign minister.
Fidan added that they were received by Abdourahamane Tchiani, Niger's president of the national council for the safeguard of the homeland.
They evaluated the outcomes of the meetings, and agreed on a series of joint steps, he said.
Stressing that Ankara's policy is to share its counterterrorism experience with friendly nations, Fidan underlined that terrorism was one of the major problems faced by Africans.
He also said they evaluated "how to further advance activities in the fields of education and health, such as the Friendship Hospital and Maarif Schools scholarships."
"We will systematically follow up on the decisions made. The issues scheduled on the agenda will be implemented in coordination with our relevant ministries and institutions. I hope our visit will be beneficial for both countries," he said.
