The Chief of Defence Staff ( CDS) General Christopher Gwabin Musa Wednesday met with his Nigerien ounterpart General Moussa Salaou Barmou in Niamey to forge a common goal towards deepening the bilateral relationships between Nigeria and Niger Republic.
During the meeting, the defence chiefs recognised the importance of sustained dialogue and collaboration in addressing mutual security challenges and strengthening the strategic partnership between Nigeria and Niger Republic.
The defence chiefs emphasised the need for maintaining and expanding existing cooperations, including joint military operations, intelligence sharing, and tactical coordination.
The Defence Chiefs acknowledged the significant impact of the proliferation of small arms and light weapons on security, stressing that the accessibility of the weapons heightens instability and conflict in the region.
The Defence Chiefs agreed to intensify their efforts in curbing the illicit flow of small arms and light weapons, while pledging to collaborate on initiatives aimed at enhancing border security and supporting regional and international efforts to control and reduce the spread of weapons.
They also reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening collaborations with a view to ensuring regional stability and security.
Nigeria acknowledged its universally known adherence to the principle of good neighbourliness and would not be used to destabilise Niger or any contiguous countries whike Niger Republic affirmed its readiness to resume active participation in security cooperation under the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJT).
The Chief of Staff of the Nigerien Armed Forces also accepted the invitation from the CDS to visit Nigeria, where they would finalise the modalities of the cooperation agreed upon.
While agreeing on the creation of a Nigerien advisory group to interface with its Nigerian counterpart with the view to addressing the various issues of mutual concern and sustain communication’s lines, the two countries also agreed that the advisory groups should have a joint mandate of developing measures towards strengthening bilateral relationships.
General Musa also paid a courtesy call on the Nigerien Deputy Minister of National Defence General Sani Kache.
