Before the Foreign and Defence Ministers of the Weimar Triangle (Germany, France and Poland) met with Spain and Italy today in Paris, Foreign Minister Westerwelle spoke on the phone with Mali’s Foreign Minister Tieman Coulibaly about the situation there.

Foreign Minister Westerwelle heard about the road map towards returning to democracy in Mali as well as about African efforts to start a dialogue with the forces in northern Mali that are willing to enter into talks.

Foreign Minister Westerwelle welcomed the decisions by ECOWAS and the African Union on Mali, especially the willingness to provide forces to stabilize the situation in northern Mali. The European Union would promptly consider the plan for a training mission for Mali’s armed forces, he said, adding that the key thing was to make progress in efforts towards a political process and dialogue involving all forces in northern Mali willing to enter into talks.

Foreign Minister Westerwelle invited Mali’s Foreign Minister Coulibaly to visit Berlin soon.