France, Feb. 25 -- Madagascar's interim leader, Colonel Michael Randrianirina, has stepped onto the diplomatic stage with a brisk series of high-level visits - arriving in France just days after talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. The trip to Paris signals a delicate balancing act as the Indian Ocean nation seeks to broaden its international partnerships while navigating intensifying geopolitical interest.

Randrianirina- who took power after former president Andry Rajoelina fled amid demonstrations in October - is piloting a transitional government at a time when several former French colonies in Africa have experienced military takeovers. Since 2020, coups in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have reshaped alliances in the...