MOSCOW, Russia
The Chad military leader,
Idriss Deby met with Russian president Vladimir Putin on Wednesday in Moscow.
The Russian leader
congratulated Deby on his success in stabilizing Chad, saying that Russia was
closely monitoring the country's security situation.
"We are glad that it was
possible to hold a referendum on the constitution," Putin said during the
brief televised meeting. "I am confident that the elections will be held
at a high level in the near future. We are glad that you have managed to
stabilise the situation in the country."
For his part, Deby offered his
condolences to Putin following a plane military plane crash earlier on
Wednesday in the Belgorod region of Russia near Ukraine.
The plane was carrying 74
people on board, including 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war due to be swapped. All
were killed, according to the governor of the Belgorod region Vyacheslav
Gladkov.
"I would like, on my own
behalf and on behalf of the people, to express my sincere condolences for these
deaths and those of the soldiers," said Deby.
Deby has led Chad since 2021,
when he took power in a coup, following the death of his
father, long-serving president Idriss Deby.
While Chad has been seen to be
a last bastion of French influence in the region, against a trend of growing
Russian influence, the meeting in Moscow is a sign that Putin may be moving to
build ties with the Sahelian country.
The meeting comes a week after
Niger's prime minister visited Moscow, resulting in an agreement to develop
military ties.
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