Telephone conversation with Interim President of Mali Assimi Goïta 2023-08-15 12:20:00 At the Malian side’s initiative, Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with Interim President of the Republic of Mali Assimi Goïta. Following up on the Russia-Mali top-level talks held in St Petersburg on July 29, the presidents discussed several aspects of developing friendly bilateral relations. The parties specifically focused on the current situation in the Sahara-Sahel region and emphasised, in particular, the importance of settling the situation in the Republic of Niger solely through peaceful political and diplomatic means.