AES: Russia Becomes the Confederal Bank’s First International Partner

Russia has become the first international partner of the Alliance of Sahel States’ Confederal Bank for Investment and Development (BCID-AES). In Moscow on October 28, 2026, Burkina Faso’s Prime Minister Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo attended the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the BCID-AES and Russian state development corporation VEB.RF. The agreement was signed by bank president Balibié Serge Auguste Bayala and VEB.RF vice-president Daniil Algoulian, in the presence of Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexandre Novak. Established in 2025 by Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger with initial capital of 500 billion CFA francs, the bank finances major confederal projects, including infrastructure, energy, transport and agriculture.