French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius has asked Mali’s government to start a reconciliation process in the country hit by civil war.
Fabius said Mali would continue to receive military assistance from France and called for elections by July.
"There's an unanimous desire for the elections to happen as planned and the date agreed was for July.
"It has always been understood that there should be presidential followed by parliamentary elections, and that has been set for July," he said.
EU instructors have started training four Malian battalions this week, in order to help the country’s army fight rebels from the north.
