The visit, organised by the head of the Association of Russian universities, Yuly Leonidovich Zolotopsky, was to give the Malian Ambassador a first hand information about the Belgorod and Kharkov regions and the possibility of sending Malian students to universities in the regions.

First of all the Malian Ambassador visited Belgorod State Technological University where he met the Rector of the university, Professor Anatoly M. Gridtchin to discuss mutual cooperation plans.

The delegation was accompanied on its tours by the 1st Prorector for Scientific activities Professor Valery S. Lessovick and Dr. Ray M. K. Atitsogbui, the chairman of the Belgorod branch of the Association Foreign Students in Russia.

“I had heard much about the city of Belgorod and Belgorod institutions so I decided to come here to create business contacts and I hope the Malian students will get first class standard of education here”, said Major-General Brehima Sire Traore. The outcome of the visit was the signing of a protocol of further cooperation between Malian universities and universities in the Belgorod.

On his tour to Belgorod the Malian Ambassador Major-General Brehima Sire Traore also visited other intuitions including the Belgorod Agricultural Academy, and met the Rector Turniyansky V. Alexander to share his intentions with him

The Malian Ambassador said that “without the support of the local authorities his plans could not be fulfilled” so he paid a courtesy call on the Deputy Belgorod Regional Governor Oleg N. Poluhin to inform him of the Embassy intention to choose Belgorod Region as conducive area for his potential students.

One of the factors of his visit, the Ambassador said he was impressed by the cordial and calm atmosphere in the city of Belgorod. He expressed his wish to pay another visit to the city at a later date. During his discussion with the university and local authorities in Belgorod the Ambassador touched on three salient points as priority issues that the Embassy was concerned with. The issue of security of foreign students should be number one on the agenda, though he believed Belgorod had no such bad records of attacks on foreign students. The second point of interest was that he asked university authorities to help students with holiday jobs to keep them busy other than allowing them involved in drunkenness and other unwanted activities of youngsters. Finally, the Ambassador expressed his disappointment at the immigration laws which prevent freely transferring students from one university to another in the Russian Federation.

In Kharkov where he spent only a few hours, the delegation met the Governor of the Kharkov Region Arsen V. Avakov, and the Rector of Kharkov National University, Bakirov S. Vil to discuss similar bilateral issues that he had done in the Belgorod Region. The Ambassador expressed great satisfaction of his visit to both regions. Departing from Belgorod, the Ambassador said, “my visit was very cordial, friendly and most important it was productive and I hope to come here again soon to put our intentions into reality.”

Written by Dr. Ray M. K. Atitsogbui.