India and Mali have agreed to cooperate on terrorism. During the Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs MJ Akbar's visit to Mali recently, both sides identified terrorism as a grave threat and agreed to co-operate at a bilateral, regional and multi-lateral level to combat this menace. Akbar visited Mali on a bilateral official visit from March 2-3, 2017 during which he co-chaired the first ever Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) between India and Mali along with the Foreign Minister of Mali Abdoulaye Diop.
Mali was a target of terror attacks by Al Qaeeda in 2016. The African country's cultural heritage sites particularly the mausoleums and shrines were also destroyed by radical Islamist militia. Mali's Timbaktu is a historical city which was a centre for Islamic learning during the 15th and 16th centuries.
India has provided assistance in reconstruction $0.5 million for the reconstruction of the world heritage of Timbuktu. MEA said in a statement that Mali thanked India for its generous assistance. India would be hosting the largest exhibition of Timbuktu manuscripts titled `When Taj Mahal meets Timbuktu' later this year.
The JCM discussions reviewed the bilateral engagement between the countries in various sectors like agriculture, energy etc and laid out areas of future co-operation, particularly in security and technology. Both sides also exchanged views on issues of common interest such as UN reforms, development issues, South-South co-operation and promotion of renewable energy.
Akbar reiterated India's commitment to Mali's geographical and ideological integrity and assured India's support for its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Both sides expressed satisfaction at the outcome of the first JCM and agreed to hold the next meeting in 2019.
Akbar's visit would be followed by a series of high-level visits from Mali to India including the visit of Minister of Culture and Minister of Investment Promotion and Private Sector.