Turkey and Niger signed a provisional pact to boost cooperation in mining, a sign of closer ties between the countries as new powers jostle for access to the West African nation’s uranium resources.

The agreement, following a visit by a Nigerien delegation to Turkey, aims to help Turkish companies undertake exploration in Niger, Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar wrote on X, without elaborating on the nature of potential projects.

The two sides met to see where “Turkish companies could get involved in Niger’s mining sector,” said Ibrahim Hamidou, head of communications for Prime Minister Ali Lamine Zeine.

It’s unclear if Niger, which has been controlled by a junta since a coup last year and is one of the world’s biggest uranium producers, is weighing giving Turkey access to undeveloped or existing mines.

The military government revoked uranium permits from French and Canadian companies shortly after coming to power. Since then Russia has sought to take over some assets, capitalizing on improved relations with a string of African nations rocked by coups last year.

Turkish state mining firm Maden Tetkik ve Arama Genel Mudurlugu has previously studied gold deposits in Niger, according to its website. In July, Turkish officials including Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and spy chief Ibrahim Kalin visited as part of Ankara’s efforts to secure access to uranium.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has long sought to deepen Turkey’s ties in Africa. As part of that, he’s seeking sources of uranium for the country’s nascent nuclear-power industry.