Canada–Mali relations

Canada–Mali relations are the bilateral relations between the countries of Canada and Mali. Mali has an embassy in Ottawa whilst Canada has an embassy in Bamako. Canada is a significant foreign aid donor and Canadian companies have provided technical and other assistance to Mali. Canadian companies have also significantly invested in Mali's mining sector. Owing to the Canadian government's policies on tied aid, approximately two-thirds of the one billion dollars (constant 2007 US $) that Canada has provided in bilateral official development assistance to Mali over the period 1960–2007 has returned to the Canadian private sector in the form of procurement contracts, chiefly in technical consulting, telecommunications, hydroelectricity, and railways. Canada's contribution represented 7$14.0 bn. over this period, ranking it fifth-largest donor country. More than 99% of Canada-to-Mali aid disbursements have been in the form of grants, with concessional loans comprising $7.1m. (0.8$355m. (constant 2007 US $) over 1975–2007, or 5$7.2bn. over the same period. Canadian imports of cotton from Mali peaked at Cdn.$20m. in 1999, but have ceased entirely since 2005; Canada had an overall trade balance with Mali of Cdn.$22m. during the period 1990–2008. Formal diplomatic ties between Mali and Canada were signaled by the openings of Mali's embassy in Ottawa in 1978, and Canada's embassy in Bamako in 1995. Mali has been a recipient of Canadian development aid since 1972, according to the Canadian embassy website. Statistics from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development state that Canada has contributed official development assistance to Mali steadily since 1962, just three years after Mali's independence from France.