- President Emmanuel Macron has asked Lithuania to contribute to a military mission in Mali
- In early June, the French leader announced that France's Barkhane operation in Mali would be replaced by a broader international mission.
Vilnus, July 17.– President Macron sent a letter to Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda in late June, which had not been previously reported. France has been trying to secure support from Lithuanian politicians for its request to contribute troops to the so-called Takuba task force, a European special forces mission helping Mali's forces to fight jihadists.
"I wanted to assure you that a contribution from your country would be particularly useful and valuable," Macron said in the letter seen by BNS. "I hope (...) that we can count on your support."
Paris has been asking Lithuania to ramp up its presence in the region for years. Discussions in Lithuania on the matter resumed last spring.
French diplomats in Vilnius have been in contact with the Defense Ministry on the matter for some time now ...
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