The Diplomat
The Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, began yesterday a two-day trip to Mali, where she visited the Spanish contingent of the European mission EUTM Mali in Bamako and met with her Malian counterpart, Sadio Camara, to whom she defended Spain’s position in favor of NATO’s so-called “360 degree approach”.
On her arrival at the international airport of Bamako-Sénou, Robles was received by the Spanish ambassador to Mali, José Hornero. The minister is accompanied by the Chief of Defense Staff (JEMAD), Admiral General Teodoro López Calderón, and the Secretary of State Director of the CNI, Esperanza Casteleiro.
At the EUTM Mali headquarters, Robles held a meeting with the head of the mission, Brigadier General Santiago Fernández Ortiz-Repiso, after which she met with the chief officers of each country participating in the mission to help the Malian Army, to which Spain has been committed since 2013. “This is a visit to give all the support to the Spanish contingent that is in Mali, and I want once again to highlight the particular pride that I feel for the great work carried out by the Spanish military in the scope of a European mission, in a complicated and difficult situation,” said the minister, who attended an act of homage to the deceased of EUTM together with the head of the mission.
Robles also assured that without the existence of cooperation between the EU and Africa it will not be possible “to build a world in peace, without terrorism and against illegal immigration”. EUTM-Mali provides the Malian Army with military training and advice in the chains of command and control, logistics and human resources management, together with international humanitarian law. The Spanish contingent contributes with 334 military personnel 75% of the personnel of the multinational mission.
Prior to the visit to the headquarters, Robles met with the Minister of Defense of Mali, Sadio Camara, with whom she discussed the future of the EU mission and to whom the minister conveyed Spain’s support and its position in favor of “opening up to the south”. “Spain’s position is always the same, we believe in a 360-degree approach and we are firmly committed to collaboration between Europe and Africa,” said the minister, referring to NATO’s new approach of “mobilization on all fronts.” “Spain will always be trying to promote, and we will do so particularly during the European presidency, good relations between the EU and Africa,” added Robles, who concluded the day with a dinner with the personnel of the Spanish contingent deployed in Mali and different organizations.
On the second day of the visit, the Minister of Defense will visit the headquarters of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), where she will meet with the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Mali and head of MINUSMA, El Ghassim Wane.
