Cover — Ilham Aliyev met with Chairman of Sovereign Council o aecfde07e9

Politics - 18 January 2026

Presentation of Credentials by the Ambassadors of the Netherlands and ChinaBamako

By Sarah Ndaya3 min readFrançais

On the first working day of 2026, Monday, January 5, His Excellency Abdoulaye Diop, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, received the credentials of the Ambassadors-designate of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the People’s Republic of China, Erik de Feijter and Li Xiang. During the meeting, Mr. Diop briefed the diplomats on the current situation in Mali and the authorities’ strategic development vision, highlighting the ongoing paradigm shift in public governance based on national sovereignty and control over the country’s destiny. Discussions focused on Mali’s political, economic, and diplomatic priorities, as well as prospects for cooperation in a changing regional and international context. The new ambassadors expressed their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations, in a spirit of mutual respect and fruitful partnership. These presentations mark a new stage in the consolidation of diplomatic relations between Mali, the Netherlands, and China.

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