Russia's Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, has promised continued military support for Mali, which has been battling a jihadist insurgency for more than a decade.
Mr Lavrov was speaking at a news conference in the capital, Bamako. It's his third visit to an African country in recent months.
Mali's military leader, Colonel Assimi Goita, has formed a close relationship with Russia while relations with France have worsened.
French soldiers were ordered to leave the country last year, and the Russian Wagner group has deployed troops.
The United Nations wants an independent investigation into possible war crimes committed by Malian government forces and Wagner mercenaries.
Source: BBC
