Published on Monday7thJanuary2019
An Taoiseach visits EU Training Mission to Mali
An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, has begun a week-long visit to Mali and Ethiopia, where he will meet with members of the Irish Defence Forces and Irish NGOs and visit a UNHCR refugee camp. The Taoiseach will also meet with the Malian President and the President and Prime Minister of Ethiopia. Minister of State with responsibility for Defence, Paul Kehoe, will accompany the Taoiseach to Mali.
They visited the EU Training Mission to Mali (EUTM), where they will meet members of the Irish Defence Forces serving with the EUTM whose mission is to improve the capacity of the Malian Armed Forces. From a security perspective, the EUTM is one of the most challenging missions for the Irish Defence Forces. During his visit the Taoiseach will also meet with the Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta.