NIAMEY, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) -- Assimi Goita, president of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), announced in a statement on Thursday the launch of the AES confederation passport, set to be issued in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger starting Jan. 29.

While old passports will remain valid until their expiration dates, citizens of the AES confederation who hold the old passports featuring the logo of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) may exchange them for new AES passports, according to the statement.

Goita reassured citizens within the confederation that all necessary measures will be implemented to ensure the effective free movement of individuals and goods.

On Nov. 22, 2024, the ministers responsible for security in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger convened in Bamako to finalize the technical specifications for the production of travel and identity documents for AES confederation nationals.

The announcement followed the prior declaration of the states' withdrawal from the ECOWAS, which will be officially completed on Jan. 29. The AES was established last September as a mutual defense pact among the three countries. ■