French President Francois Hollande thanked his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Thursday for Russia’s support for the military operation in Mali and assistance in the withdrawal of French troops from Afghanistan.
“From day one you supported our military action in Mali. You understood the importance of the international component in the fight against terrorism,” he said during a meeting with Putin in Moscow.
“I know that Russia will assist in the transformation of this mission into a peacekeeping mission in the coming weeks,” he added.
Moscow has urged the international community to step up its efforts in Mali to prevent the conflict there spreading throughout the region and bring an end to the crisis in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions.
