The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Mali, Abdallah Diop, opened the opening session of the work of the Steering Committee of the Technical Unit for Cooperation with the European Union, in the presence of the European Union representative in Mali.
Diop stressed that the establishment of this technical unit with funding from the national budget reflects the commitment of the highest authorities in Mali to consolidating the principle of national ownership and government leadership of cooperation programs with the European Union, which contributes to ensuring the continuity of ongoing projects and maximizing the impact of the support provided by the European Union as a traditional partner of Mali.
The Minister pointed out that the European Union Cooperation and Coordination Center contributes to strengthening the capabilities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, enabling it to perform its guiding and arbitration roles efficiently in the various stages of implementing European-funded projects and programs inside Mali.
He also welcomed the support of the European Union and its member states for the Malian government’s efforts to improve the well-being of citizens, reiterating the authorities’ readiness to continue and strengthen the partnership according to a participatory and constructive approach in line with the constitutional principles regulating public action and international partnerships in Mali.
Members of the Steering Committee are scheduled to hold meetings later during the day to study the draft annual report of the European Union Counter-Terrorism Center, with the aim of evaluating the results of the implementation of ongoing projects, identifying the challenges faced in implementation, in addition to examining ways to enhance the impact of interventions for the benefit of the population in Mali.
