Colonel Michael Randrianirina -- Madagascar's interim leader since the former president fled in October following demonstrations -- arrived in France less than a week after holding talks with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

Madagascar is the latest of several former French colonies in Africa to come under military control since 2020, after coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger and other nations. The three Sahel countries have since tightened ties with Russia.

In Madagascar, some diplomats are concerned about "the speed with which Russia" has taken steps to build ties with the new leader, said a Western diplomatic source on the island.

France is to keen to maintain a relationship with the strategically located nation rich in nickel and cobalt in the face of the growing influence of countries such as China, India and, more recently, Russia.

"Our aim is to consolidate and renew this relationship," Macron's office said ahead of the talks, stressing that relations with Madagascar remained "a priority for France in Africa".

Speaking to journalists before flying to Paris, Madagascar's leader said that the trips to Russia and France had "no connection with each other".

"We are following the policy we have adopted in terms of diplomacy: establishing relations with countries that can bring benefits to the Malagasy people," he said.

Last week Randrianirina travelled to Moscow on a plane chartered by Russia, weeks after the Kremlin sent military equipment to the island.

He told Putin his country was ready to "move our partnership to a new level".

Last month, Russian military instructors visited Madagascar to train their counterparts in military equipment supplied by Moscow, including drones.

The delegation was led by the deputy head of Russia's GRU military intelligence, Andrei Averyanov, the National Assembly president told AFP.

Averyanov was also present at the Kremlin talks between Putin and Randrianirina last week.

Russia was the third country Randrianirina went to since coming to power, having visited the United Arab Emirates and South Africa beforehand.

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