- Foreign relations of Mali
Following independence in 1960,
Mali initially followed asocialist path and was aligned ideologically with the communist bloc. But Mali’s foreign policy orientation became increasingly pragmatic and pro-Western over time. Since the institution of a democratic form of government in 2002, Mali’s relations with the West in general and theUnited States in particular have improved significantly. U.S.-Malian relations are described by the U.S. Department of State as “excellent and expanding,” especially given Mali’s recent record of democratic stability in the volatile area of West Africa and its avowed support of the war on terrorism. Mali is reported to be one of the largest recipients of U.S. aid in Africa. [http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/profiles/Mali.pdf Mali country profile] .Library of Congress Federal Research Division (January 2005). "This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain ."]Mali has a longstanding relationship with France, its former colonial ruler, but relations have been described as ambivalent rather than close. Mali dropped out of the Franc Zone shortly after independence, not rejoining until 1967. One contentious issue between the two nations is the frequent expulsion of illegal Malian immigrants from France since 1996.
Mali is active in regional organizations such as the African Union. Working to control and resolve regional conflicts, such as in Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, is one of Mali’s major foreign policy goals. Mali feels threatened by the potential for the spillover of conflicts in neighboring states, and relations with those neighbors are often uneasy. General insecurity along borders in the north, including cross-border banditry and terrorism, remain troubling issues in regional relations.
Mali is a member of the
United Nations (and many of its specialized agencies), theInternational Monetary Fund (IMF), theWorld Bank , theInternational Labour Organization (ILO), theInternational Telecommunication Union (ITU), theUniversal Postal Union (UPU) and theInternational Criminal Court (ICC). It also belongs to theOrganization of African Unity (OAU);Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC);Non-Aligned Movement (NAM); an associate member of theEuropean Community (EC); andAfrican Development Bank (ADB).Mali is active in regional organizations. It participates in the
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and theWest African Economic Monetary Union (UEMOA) for regional economic integration;Liptako-Gourma Authority , which seeks to develop the contiguous areas of Mali,Niger , andBurkina Faso ; theNiger River Commission ; thePermanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS); and theSenegal River Valley Development Organization (OMVS).In 2005, H.E. Abdoulaye Diop, Mali’s Ambassador to the United States, assumed the Chairmanship of the Convening Group of the
Community of Democracies on behalf of Mali, which will host the next Ministerial Conference in Bamako in 2007. fact|date=April 2007On
November 23 , 2006 theGovernor General ofCanada Michaëlle Jean , made a visit to Mali, encouraging women's rights. fact|date=April 2007References
See also
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Malian diplomatic missions
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