Russia ready to facilitate swift normalization in Mali - Foreign Ministry

MOSCOW. Sept 28 (Interfax) - Russia is ready to assist with a swift normalization of the situation and crisis settlement in Mali, Russian Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and Africa and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said at a meeting with Mali's outgoing Ambassador Tiefing Konate on Tuesday.

"The Russian side expressed its readiness to further facilitate an intra-Malian settlement and the swift normalization of the situation in Mali in accordance with international law and the UN Charter," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on its website following the meeting.

The two sides discussed the pressing issues on the bilateral agenda "with an emphasis placed on the prospects for expanding trade, economic, scientific, technical, humanitarian, and other relations," the statement said.

"Moscow and Bamako reaffirmed their intention to deepen the political dialogue and increase the coordination of efforts within the UN and other international organizations," it said.