U.S. Ambassador to Mali Mary Beth Leonard, USAID Mission-Mali Director Gary Juste, and Malian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Zahabi Ould Sidi Mohamed signed three protocols for amending grant agreements between the Governments of Mali and the United States of America on Monday. The new protocols allow the U.S. to increase its financial support of Malian programs by more than $58 million in areas of health, education and economic growth. In her remarks, Ambassador Leonard noted that the event marked “an important step in the resumption of full cooperation between the United States and Mali. Presidential and parliamentary elections have paved the way for a return to a democratic and legitimate government, determined to improve the lives of the Malian people; and as a result, reversing obstacles to American bilateral assistance in place since the 2012 coup d’état.»