Working Visit by Gilles Tonelli to Mali

Laying the foundation stone at the cardiac catheterisation unit in Mali in the presence of the Minister of Public Health and Hygiene and François Bourlon, paediatric cardiologist at the Monaco Cardiothoracic Centre, Vice-President of the Share association ©DCI

During this visit, the Monegasque delegation was received by the senior Malian authorities, the Minister of Malians Abroad, Dr. Abdramane Sylla, the Minister of Health and Public Hygiene, Dr. Marie Madeleine Togo and the Minister for the Promotion of Woman, Children and the Family, Ms. Sangaré Oumou Bah.

These meetings, held in private or in the field during project visits, made it possible to discuss the various partnerships undertaken with the Malian authorities and partners of Monaco's Official Development Assistance Program in the fields of health and education and the socio-economic integration of the most vulnerable populations.

During this trip, several partnership agreements were signed by Gilles Tonelli, namely the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Minister of Public Health and Hygiene in support of the fight against sickle-cell anaemia in Mali, the world's first genetic disease, the signing of an agreement with the founder of Samusocial, Xavier Emmanuelli, to benefit street children in Bamako, and agreements with the Mérieux Foundation, the Santé Sud association and the Charles Mérieux Infectology Centre in Bamako to improve the quality of care in rural areas.Finally, Gilles Tonelli took part in an official ceremony to lay the foundation stone of the cardiac catheterisation unit at the Mother-Child hospital in Bamako, in the presence of the Monegasque association Share, which had originated the project.

As a reminder, bilateral cooperation between the two States was initiated in 2006.  It was strengthened in 2011 by the signing of a Cooperation Framework Agreement on the occasion of a visit to Monaco by the former Malian President, Amadou Toumani Toure, and in 2012 by the State Visit to Mali of H.S.H. the Sovereign Prince.

*The Monegasque delegation was comprised of:  Gilles Tonelli, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Mossadeck Bally, Honorary Consul of Monaco in Mali, Bénédicte Schutz, Director of International Cooperation, Candice Manuello, Programme Head at the Department of International Cooperation and Cécile Dakouo, Country Officer at the Department of International Cooperation.