Spain will release its bilateral cooperation with Mali

Spain will release its bilateral cooperation with Mali, which was suspended after the coup of March 2012, announced Sunday the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel García-Margallo, during a official visit to Bamako.

It has never suspended humanitarian aid. (...) We will unlock cooperation since the political roadmap which Mali has the end of January is a sufficient condition for the decision, said the Spanish minister for public television antenna Mali ORTM.

Garcia-Margallo, who arrived Saturday in Bamako for a 24-hour visit, spoke after meeting with his Malian counterpart Hubert Tieman Coulibaly of Mali and President Traoré Acting Dioncounda Sunday.

Spain assesses the situation in Mali, the government needs and opportunities to help Bamako to stop the terrorists in the first place to implement the CDM, a committee of dialogue and mediation, which would be inclusive, he explained.

He also mentioned the elections, scheduled at a date set by the political roadmap late January passed by the National Assembly of Mali.

These elections - presidential and legislative one - should put an end to the transition started after the military coup of 22 March 2012 against the regime Amadou Toumani Touré.

The coup was the downfall of northern Mali in the hands of armed Islamist groups linked to Al-Qaeda, who have committed during ten months of numerous abuses. Since January, military operations are conducted by Mali, supported by France and several African states to hunt these groups in Mali.

The Spanish minister also discussed with his counterparts in Mali needs for Training Mission of the European Union (EUTM) in which several European countries, including Spain.

EUTM must form from April more than 2,500 Malian military. It includes a section of advice and assistance in the field of command and logistics as well as a training component, mainly military, but also in terms of international humanitarian law, had told his commander, French General François Lecointre, the Press Bamako on February 20.

According ORTM, Mali was the second stop of a tour of the Sahel Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo started in Niger and should conclude in Mauritania.