Mauritanian, European Parliaments Reaffirm Desire To Strengthen Cooperation

The Mauritanian and European parliaments affirmed their desire to strengthen their cooperative relations following their 12th meeting held on 21 December in Nouakchott.

The Mauritanian and European delegations welcomed the relaunch of the Permanent Parliamentary Contact Group, as a central body for cooperation between parliamentarians, and committed to continuing their exchanges on a continuous and regular basis.

The final communiqué issued at the end of the two parties’ meeting welcomed the tangible progress made by Mauritania in the field of human rights in recent years, particularly the efforts aimed at eradicating slavery.

The declaration highlighted the need to support Mauritania by supporting the education system, activating the formal labor market, and strengthening the measures taken to fight poverty.

On the issue of migration, the two delegations considered that it constitutes a common challenge and supported the relaunch of the EU-Mauritania dialogue on migration management and the strengthening of cooperation to control and combat illegal migration.

The two delegations expressed their appreciation of the political dialogue in Mauritania, which includes the political opposition, and reiterated their confidence in the promotion and inclusion of Mauritanians in the political, social, and economic life of the country. Internationally, both sides expressed deep concern over the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza and called for the rapid, safe, and unhindered continuation of humanitarian assistance to reach those in need. They emphasized the need for lasting peace based on coexistence between two Palestinian and Israeli states.

To this end, the Mauritanian side called on the European Union, particularly the European Parliament, to intervene with the international community to achieve a permanent ceasefire in Gaza to put an end to the suffering of the Palestinian civilian population.