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Margelov to represent Russia at international inauguration of Mali president

The ceremony, to which 26 Heads of State have been invited, will take place at Bamako's stadium seating 55,000 and will be accompanied with a military parade

Photo ITAR-TASS

Photo ITAR-TASS

PRETORIA, September 19 (Itar-Tass) - In Bamako, the capital of Mali, a ceremony of international inauguration of the country's President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita will be held. Russia at the ceremony will be represented by Mikhail Margelov, Chairman of the Committee on International Affairs of the Federation Council upper house of parliament and Presidential Special Representative for Cooperation with African Countries.

The ceremony, to which 26 Heads of State have been invited, will take place at Bamako's stadium seating 55,000 and will be accompanied with a military parade and cultural events.

Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, 68, scored a convincing victory in the presidentia l election runoff in Mali on August 11, by polling 77 percent of the vote and leaving his rival -- Soumaila Cisse, former chairmsn of the commission of the West African Economic and Monetary Union -- far behind.

Keita assumed the office of the Head of State on September 4, promising to be "the president of national reconciliation which is essential to meet the legitimate aspirations of the people of the country". He mentioned as priorities in his forthcoming work "to create a law-governed state, restore the army and education, fight corruption, and ensure socio-economic development".

Following Keita's advent to power in Mali, analysts expect an end to the acute crisis that hit the republic at the beginning of 2012 after the military coup staged by the army, the coup which resulted in the overthrowing of ex-president Amadou Toumani Toure and the occupation of vast territories in the counyry's north by radical groups.

Mikhail Margelov met with the new Malian president more than once when the latter was one of the opposition leaders. "The new President is interested in an economic upsurge of the country and is ready personally to guarantee support for Russian businesses," Margelov said.

Margelov believes that Keita "is amicably disposed to Russia" and is planning to broaden contacts in politics, ecomic and humanitarian sphere. "President Keita promises to favour our economic advent to West Africa and to the Sahel Region," the RF Presidential Representative said.

The most promising branches of Russo-Malian cooperation are as follows: prospecting for and production of natural resources, infrastructure, the training of personnel, and technical military cooperation.

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