Russian city wishes to become a sister state to Burkina Faso's capital

The Southern-Russian city in Siberia; Novosibirsk, has reached out to Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou, to establish a twinning relationship. During the ongoing Technoprom-2024, held in Novosibirsk which is set to run from the 27th to the 30th of August, the Ambassador of Burkina Faso to Russia, Aristide Rapugdondba Ludovic Tapsoba suggested the idea. Both parties share a budding partnership in education.

Sputnik reported that the idea of a twinning relationship between Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, and Novosibirsk has become a subject of conversation.

"The education we received and are receiving in Russia creates ties that unite us. I would like to propose a form of partnership that will help bring us even closer together, this is the establishment of twinning relations between Ouagadougou and Novosibirsk," the ambassador stated.

The Technoprom event for this year focused on the transformation of science and technology as essential drivers of Russia's socioeconomic and territorial growth.

The ambassador also emphasized the two countries' strong educational ties, stating that such a collaboration will advance the relationship. Novosibirsk Governor Andrey Travnikov indicated openness to the concept, recognizing the potential benefits of the idea.

"We have preserved the traditions of twinning relations between cities and between regions since Soviet times, and I can say in response to your proposal and perhaps to the proposals of other colleagues - yes, we are open to it, our diplomatic procedures allow it," the Russian governor said.

Additionally, Novosibirsk State University (NSU) declared the formation of a partnership to promote cooperation with West African universities. Over 40 Russian colleges are set to join later, according to Evgeny Sagaydak, Head of NSU's Education Export Department, who announced that 20 Russian institutions will participate initially.

The primary goal of this collaboration is to train highly skilled workers for West African sectors that rely heavily on research and information.