France will maintain its military presence in Mali, visiting French Defence Minister Florence Parly said here on Monday, following a meeting with her Malian counterpart, Colonel Sadio Camara, Trend reports citing Xinhua.
"France will not leave Mali and remains determined in the fight against terrorism," she said, referring to her visit as part of the move to strengthen military cooperation between the two countries.
"For the past eight years, France has chosen, at the request of the Malian authorities, to accompany Mali in the fight against armed terrorist groups. France has chosen to suffer and unite its partners around a common vision with and for Mali," said Parly.
It is time to "evolve the system by increasing cooperation" to help the restructuring of the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa), she said, adding that it is "imperative today to reinsure FAMa of the air support provided from France and its partners."