France welcomes Mali’s new government

France welcomed the nomination of Mali’s first government after months-long conflict with Islamists, and vowed to help its former colony improve domestic governance and boost security, the foreign ministry said Monday.

In a statement released by the Quai d’Orsay, the ministry’s spokesman Philippe Lalliot said French officials “note with satisfaction that … justice and reconciliation is a priority for the new Malian authorities … (and) particularly welcome the creation of a ministry dedicated to national reconciliation and the North’s development.”

“France will remain alongside Mali to face the challenges … of state restoration, improving governance, security and development,” he added.

On Sunday, Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita announced his new 34-member cabinet with Oumar Tatam Ly, a technocrat and regional BCEAO central bank, as Prime Minister.

Check Also

Hopes and Uncertainties in Syria

Many Western leaders have expressed their relief at the collapse of the dictatorship of Syria’s …