From June 7 to 11, representatives of the World Youth Festival Directorate, as part of a Russian delegation alongside members of the Russian-Malian humanitarian organization Sahel Perspective and the Russian news agency African Initiative, visited Mali. The delegates met with officials from government institutions, universities, and major media outlets in the country.

"Around 1,000 participants from 51 African countries, including Mali, took part in the World Youth Festival. Following the event, we established warm ties and are now implementing joint initiatives with our partners in Mali. The youth of Mali and Russia continue to engage through International Friendship Clubs—Mali is a partner country of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania. This visit confirmed the strong interest of both Malian youth and government representatives in deepening cooperation with Russia. We are open to new initiatives and have invited young Malian leaders to join our projects, such as the World Youth Festival Rally, educational programs at Summer Schools based at the Senezh, Mashuk, and Meganom centers, and other collaborative formats. These projects received enthusiastic feedback from Malian partners—government bodies, universities, and media. They see them not only as platforms for dialogue but also as effective tools for developing their country’s talent pool," said Dmitry Ivanov, Director General of the World Youth Festival Directorate.

The Russian delegation took part in celebrations of Russian Language Day and Alexander Pushkin’s birthday at the Lycée Burey. Bana Moussa Baghaga, Advisor to Mali’s Minister of Education, stated that Pushkin’s birthday is a memorable date not only for Russia but for the entire world. In his view, Pushkin’s contribution to the development of the Russian language has made it a bridge between nations.

"Russian has long been taught in Malian lyceums, but this trend is growing stronger as ties between our countries deepen. There are about 600 public and 1,000 private lyceums in Bamako, and most of them offer Russian language courses," emphasized **Bana Moussa Baghaga. ** Representatives of the World Youth Festival Directorate spoke to students, faculty, university rectors, and officials from Mali’s Ministry of Education. They highlighted the importance of learning Russian for fostering international youth cooperation. Young Malians were invited to participate in the Directorate’s projects, including the World Youth Festival Rally, which will take place from September 17 to 21 in Nizhny Novgorod, bringing together 2,000 Russian and international participants.

The same day, meetings were held with RUDN University professor Khabiba Shagbanova and representatives of the World Youth Festival Directorate’s project office in Mali. Discussions focused on the Directorate’s development strategy and organizing joint events to strengthen interstate cooperation. During the visit, the delegation also met with Malian media representatives and agreed on future collaboration.

On June 9, talks were held with members of Mali’s National Transitional Council. Attendees included Defense Committee Chairman General Minkoro Kané and his deputy Fousseynou Ouattara, Culture Committee Chairman and filmmaker Boubacar Sidibé, journalist Abdoulaye Diallo, and Health Committee Chairman Abdul Kabim Fomba. The discussions centered on key challenges facing Malian youth and opportunities for implementing joint Russian-Malian projects to enhance bilateral cooperation.

The delegates also visited an orphanage, where they gifted toys to the children, including Cheburashka—the official mascot of the 2024 World Youth Festival. The children also learned about the cartoon character’s history.

As part of Russia Day celebrations, debates on Russian-Malian cooperation, an essay contest, and a Russian cuisine cooking competition were held. Representatives of the World Youth Festival Directorate addressed Malian youth in a live broadcast on Africable TV, speaking about the significance of the holiday and stressing the importance of strengthening youth cooperation between Russia and African nations.

Overview:

The World Youth Festival took place on March 1–7, 2024 in Sirius, according to the Decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin on the development of international youth cooperation. The WYF-2024 brought together 20,000 young leaders from 190 countries.

On the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation, the WYF will be held in Russia on a regular basis – once in six years. Also, every six years 10,000 young people from all over the world will get together at the World Youth Festival Forum, and in between, international themed assemblies for 2,000 participants will be held under the auspices of the WYF. The first Assembly is scheduled to take place in September 2025 in Nizhny Novgorod. Festival events of various formats will be held in Russia annually.

According to the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation on the preservation and development of the Festival legacy, the World Youth Festival Directorate continues the work aimed at strengthening international youth cooperation.