Officials from five EU countries have agreed to a proposal for a training mission for Malian soldiers, who are fighting against rebels in the north of the country.
Foreign and defence ministers from Germany, Italy, France, Poland and Spain met in Paris on Thursday and endorsed a decision made by the EU Foreign Affairs Council from October, which says that they are "determined to support Mali in restoring the rule of law and re-establishing a fully sovereign democratic government".
The Malian army has been trying to regain territory captured by Tuareg and Islamist militants earlier this year.
The regional bloc Ecowas agreed this week that they would send 3,300 troops to assist the Malian army, pending a final decision by the UN Security Council.
