Austria is due to send six medical experts and two field officers to the EU mission in Mali. This came in a statement by the Defence Ministry on Thursday. Last Friday, Defence Minister Norbert Darabos already said that Austria would be sending doctors and paramedics to Mali, but did not give any details. The ministry said that the quota included a surgeon, an emergency doctor, and four paramedics, all of whom were trained in the Austrian military. The preparations have been underway since last Monday for Austria's participation in the EU training mission in the west African country. So far, 16 EU member states and Norway have joined the mission with around 500 troops. When the mission to train the Malian military was to begin was not yet clear. It had originally been planned to start at the end of February.