Q: With regards to the personnel of the private paramilitary security company, the Wagner Group, what is the nature of discussions between Paris and Moscow on the group's presence in Mali? Is there an arrangement in place in the country?
A: Please refer to the December 23rd statement in which France, alongside 14 partners involved in the Sahel, condemned the Malian transitional authorities' decision to employ Wagner mercenaries.
We have shared the well-known position of France and its partners with the Russian authorities on numerous occasions.