On Monday 8 February, Ingrid Amer, Estonia’s Ambassador to the Republic of Mali presented her credentials to the President of the Transition of Mali Bah N’Daw. Ingrid Amer resides in Tallinn.
After the presentation ceremony, President N’Daw and Ambassador Amer spoke about the bilateral relations of Estonia and Mali and how these ties could be enhanced further. The president said that appointing an Estonian ambassador to Mali was a great step – dialogue with Estonia is important both for bilateral relations as well as in light of Estonia’s elected membership in the UN Security Council. At the end of the meeting, the president of Mali extended an invitation to the President of Estonia to visit Mali.
Ingrid Amer also met with the president of the transition council Malick Diawi, Defence Minister Sadio Camara and the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Boubacar Gouro Diallo. Representatives of Mali were interested in Estonia’s success with reforms. They noted that the country was making progress despite the precarious security situation. Strengthening state rule and ensuring public services throughout the country is crucial for increasing the trust of the population in the state. Mali appreciates international cooperation, especially with Estonia. In addition to security cooperation, Mali is also interested in closer bilateral cooperation on education. Ambassador Amer also presented Estonia’s recently completed strategy for Africa that lists Mali as a priority.
Ambassador Amer also met with the EU Ambassador to Mali Bart Ouvry and Brigadier Fernando Gracia who heads the EU training mission EUTM Mali, and visited the mission’s training centre in Koulikoro. During her visit, Ambassador Amer also presented a letter of appreciation from the foreign minister of Estonia to Eva Diallo, the long-time honorary consul of Estonia in Mali.
Estonia and Mali are closely linked by defence cooperation. Estonia is currently part of three missions aimed at bolstering Mali’s security: the UN peacekeeping mission MINUSMA, the EU training mission EUTM Mali and French-led Operation Barkhane and its Takuba Task Force. Participating in military missions in Mali contributes to Estonia’s security policy aims, helps stabilise the southern borders of the European Union and provides a chance to cooperate with our important allies.
Ingrid Amer graduated with a degree in philology from the University of Tartu. She joined the foreign service in 1995. She has worked at Estonian embassies in Warsaw, Helsinki and Prague, as well as in the State Protocol Department and the Political Department of the Foreign Ministry. She has led the Central Europe and Balkans Division and the divisions of southeast Europe, general affairs of the European Union and enlargement. Between 2013 and 2018, Ingrid Amer was the deputy head in the Estonian embassy in Paris and between 2016 and 2018, she was the Estonian Ambassador to UNESCO. Amer is currently the Director of the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Additional information:
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia
Communication Department
[email protected]
