The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Niger, His Excellency Hassoumi Massoudou, and the Ambassador of the Order of Malta signed a cooperation agreement defining the guidelines for cooperation between Niger and the Sovereign Order of Malta.

This agreement sets out the general framework and guidelines for cooperation between Niger and the Sovereign Order of Malta with a view to promoting the Order’s hospital, health and assistance activities in Niger. Its objective is to carry out all actions that will improve public health. It also defines the privileges, facilities and immunities of diplomats, authorised personnel and subordinate organisations of both parties in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 18 April 1961.

After the signing and exchange of documents, the Minister of State, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, took the opportunity to thank the competent authorities of the Sovereign Order of Malta for the assistance provided to Niger. His Excellency Hassoumi Massoudou reaffirmed Niger’s willingness to diversify its areas of cooperation. He hoped that the signing of this agreement would further strengthen relations between Niger and the Sovereign Order of Malta.

For his part, H.E. Olivier de Preville maintained that the Sovereign Order of Malta has some very fine projects with Niger, including one in particular on sickle-cell anaemia: the construction of a new centre for the treatment of this disease.