Press Release

United States Government Provides Support for Bamako Ministerial Meeting of the Community of Democracies.

On October 17, 2007, the U.S. Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. Mary Beth Leonard presented Ambassador Oumar Daou at the Malian Ministry of Foreign Affairs with a donation to support the Fourth Ministerial Conference of the Community of Democracies to be held in Bamako on November 14 – 17, 2007.  This $75,000 contribution (nearly CFA 35 million) is a tangible symbol of the United States government’s strong support for democracy around the world as well as our respect for Mali’s excellent leadership as the Chair of the Community of Democracies.

The Fourth Ministerial Conference of the Community of Democracies -- a coalition of democratic countries that work to promote and strengthen democratic institutions worldwide -- will be hosted by the Malian Government in Bamako from November 14 – 17, 2007.  The main theme of this conference is democracy and development.

The Community of Democracies was founded in 1999 by 10 countries -- Chile, Czech Republic, India, Korea, Mali, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, South Africa and the United States – who initiated the formation of the community to affirm their commitment to the fundamental principles of democracy and the promotion of democracy worldwide.  Since that time, the United States has remained a strong participant in the Community of Democracies, a unique forum that brings together those nations committed to promoting and strengthening democracy around the world.