US State Department Senior Advisor for Africa Massad Boulos and Nigerian President Bola Tinubu held a meeting in Rome on the sidelines of the Aqaba Process summit, which focuses on counterterrorism in West Africa. The parties discussed coordinating efforts to combat terrorism in the Sahel, as Boulos announced on social media.

"We discussed close coordination of counterterrorism efforts in the Sahel, the Lake Chad Basin, and the Gulf of Guinea, emphasizing our shared commitment to stability and security," Boulos wrote.

He stated that the two countries are working to expand bilateral trade and create a business climate that "will attract American investment." Boulos and Tinubu also discussed the religious situation in Nigeria.

Earlier in October, Boulos met with Chadian leader Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno and Saudi Arabia's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Waleed El-Khereiji. During that meeting, the officials discussed resolving the conflict in Sudan and also addressed security issues in the Sahel.

Anna Bespalova