BAMAKO: Russia will begin geological exploration for lithium, oil and gas deposits in Mali next month, a top official said in Bamako on Wednesday. The official, requesting anonymity, told Anadolu that according to Mali's Economy and Finance Minister Alousseini Sanou the first group of Russian specialists will arrive next month to begin work, with the timetable for the next stages of the process already established. The development comes as Sanou and Energy Minister Bintou Camara are in Moscow on a one-week trip to discuss investment opportunities. The official said cooperation with Russia will allow the West African nation to "obtain the resources necessary to ensure the financing of other economic sectors." Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger are members of Alliance of Sahel States, formed in September last year. The three nations withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, which had threatened to intervene militarily in Niger following a coup in that country last year. Since then, the three nations have worked together to combat terrorism and integrate in areas such as single passport, communications, and diplomacy. Source: Anadolu Agency