BAMAKO. Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio arrived in Bamako, the capital of Mali. Before him, the last visit of a head of diplomacy from our country dates back to 2016, when Paolo Gentiloni was at the Farnesina. For Di Maio it is the first mission in subsharian Africa and comes at a very delicate moment in the history of Mali. The country, in fact, is going through a phase of political transition following the military coup of 18 August 2020, which dismissed President Keita.
«We consider Mali a crucial partner for the stabilization of the Sahel and for some dossiers that are absolutely priority for us such as Libya and the fight against human traffickers – explained Di Maio -. Mali is the keystone for the stability of the Sahel and for this reason we have decided to open an Embassy in Bamako. Our diplomatic representation will in fact allow us to deepen the bilateral partnership in all sectors: political, economic and security, where Italian entrepreneurial excellence can provide strong added value in key sectors such as, for example, that of renewable energy ».
The Farnesina reminds us that “Italy is positioning itself to play a key role in the Sahel, a region that is now crucial for the security not only of ours but of all of Europe. This is why we joined the Coalition for the Sahel and we participate in the Takuba Task Force with one of the largest contingents, carrying forward the idea of an integrated and multidimensional approach to security, which takes into account the link between stability, good governance and sustainable development and inclusive. As Italy we are also committed in Brussels to ensure that the new EU Pact on Migration expressly recognizes the Sahel region as a priority. It is evident that migration cannot be managed without a stronger relationship with the countries of origin and transit of migratory flows ”. Finally Di Maio recalls how «On the occasion of the G-20 presidency and as COP26 co-president, this year we will host high-level events on Africa and the Sahel. In June I will chair a session of the G-20 Foreign Ministers that we have decided to dedicate to Africa ».