United States Embassy in Mali
Press Statement
No: 2023 – 01 EN Bamako, Mali, February 23, 2023
Bamako – February 23, 2023 – Two members of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee staff visited Mali this week. The two staff members, John Tomaszewski and Alexis Arieff, traveled to Mali on behalf of the U.S. Senate as part of a special three-country visit in the region, which began with Mali.
During their three-day visit, the delegation, accompanied by Deputy Chief of Mission Richard Nicholson, had the pleasure of meeting with Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop for a frank discussion on various bilateral issues of interest between the United States and Mali, as well as the security situation and the return to constitutional order. Members met with the Minister of State and Territorial Administration and Decentralization, Abdoulaye Maiga, where they obtained new perspectives on security and the upcoming elections.
They consulted with a number of political parties and bodies, civil society, and MINUSMA to better understand the progress of the electoral process, the Algiers Accord peace process, and the protection of civilian spaces. They also met with business leaders from the National Employers Council of Mali to explore opportunities for future business cooperation.
The delegation was able to get a clear picture of the transitional government’s progress under the Agreements. They also met with USAID and other U.S. Government humanitarian partners to understand the impact of the U.S. partnership with Malians to lead their own development.
Both of our honorees left Mali with a great appreciation for the context and challenges that Mali’s transitional government is trying to address, with the hope of continued progress in electoral process.
######
