Bamako- The Malian Government presented last 7-8 December the ‘Invest in Mali’ Forum site, showcasing opportunities in the field of international trade and strategic plans for the reconstruction of the economy.
The Netherlands is an strategic long-term partner of Mali. A delegation of eight Dutch companies participated in panel discussions and a Holland Pavilion.
Few days earlier, during the EU-AU summit in Ivory Coast, Prime Minister Mark Rutte paid a visit to Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, participating alos at the “Invest in Mali”. Mali is a strategic country in deterring migration flows to Europe. Since 2014, the Netherlands makes an important contribution to MINUSMA, the UN mission to restore peace and stability in the north of the country.
Besides development and the UN operation, the Netherlands is supporting the private sector in Mali. Besides trade missions, Dutch support is present through business financing, technology transfer and knowledge transfer.
In 2013 the Netherlands-African Business Council (NABC) organized on behalf of the Dutch Embassy in Bamako, the first official trade mission to Mali after the crisis period.
Since then seven trade missions took place, from and to Mali. In October 2017, a delegation of 60 Malian entrepreneurs came to the Netherlands. Marina Diboma, Deputy Managing Director of NABC declared: “Despite the negative news about Mali, the Dutch private sector remains interested in the country. Mali is still full of untapped business opportunities in agriculture, energy and infrastructure sectors. ”
This mission was organized by the Netherlands-African Business Council, commissioned by the Dutch Embassy in Bamako, within the framework of a multiannual program aimed at strengthening economic relations between the Netherlands and Mali. Local actors such as the Investment Promotion Agency and the Chamber of Commerce of Mali are important partners as well.
