For many, Timbuktu may be a mythical place or a metaphor for a faraway place. This West African city will come alive in India later this year when the largest exhibition of Timbuktu manuscripts titled "When Taj Mahal meets Timbuktu” will be held.
Located in Mali, Timbuktu would also get a generous assistance of 0.5 million US dollars from India for the reconstruction of its world heritage site.
India promised assistance and signed a number of agreements with Mali during the visit of Minister of State for External Affairs, M.J. Akbar. He was on a bilateral official visit to this country from March 2-3.
Akbar co-chaired the first ever Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) between India and Mali along with Foreign Minister of Mali Abdoulaye Diop.
“The cordial discussions reviewed the bilateral engagement between the countries in various sectors like agriculture, energy etc and laid out areas of future co-operation, particularly in security and technology,” MEA officials said.
Akbar reiterated India’s commitment to Mali’s geographical and ideological integrity and assured India’s support for its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“Both parties identified terrorism as a grave threat to peace and prosperity and agreed to cooperate at a bilateral, regional and multi-lateral level to combat this menace. Both sides also exchanged views on issues of common interest such as UN reforms, development issues, South-South co-operation and promotion of renewable energy,” official statement added.
The next meeting of the JCM will be held in 2019. Akbar’s visit would be followed by a series of high-level visits from Mali to India including the visit of the minister of culture and the minister of investment promotion and private sector.
