President Touré Received by President Bush at the White House

President Touré and President Bush Address Reporters at the White House

The February 12 visit of Malian President Amadou Toumani Touré to the White House for talks with President Bush confirmed the increasingly close relationship between Mali and the United States (more).  During their meeting, the two leaders exchanged ideas on issues of health, education, economic development, and security.

At the end of the meeting, President Touré thanked the President "for the our friendship between the people of the United States and the people of Mali, and the cooperation between Mali and the United States that we do entertain on both sides since the independence of Mali in 1960."  President Touré went on to laud the generosity of the American people and government in assisting people around Africa in a variety of ways. (full text of remarks)