Mali authorities asked Russia for help against the background of a threat to the existence of the state. The statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Abdulay Diop was performed with this statement during a conversation with Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, RIA Novosti reports.
Diplomat noted that every time Mali was in a difficult situation, Russia supported the country. “Now we are in such a difficult, difficult situation, and therefore we can refer to our friend for help,” he stressed.
Previously, Lavrov said that Moscow is not related to the activities of private military companies (PMK) in Mali and other African countries. The Foreign Minister called the topic about the presence of Russian PMCs in Africa supened out of the finger. At the same time, in his opinion, it does not harm the image of Moscow, but affects the reputation of those who distribute similar messages.
In September, the Russian Foreign Minister reported that the authorities of Mali appealed to the Russian ChVC to help combat terrorists. He noted that the decision was made in connection with a significant reduction in the presence of the France military contingent in the country. What kind of ChvK was the authorities of the republic, Lavrov did not specify.