Joint Statement on the Visit of the Spanish Prime Minister to Mauritania

HE President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani received on August 27, 2024, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Spain Pedro Sanchez.

This visit comes after the re-election of President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, which marks the beginning of a new phase.

The two sides emphasized the depth and richness of neighborly relations and friendship between their two countries, linked by cultural and historical ties.

Strengthening multilateralism and the relationship between Mauritania and the European Union

1 – Mauritania and Spain reaffirm their full commitment to a more just international order and a more democratic, equitable and inclusive multilateralism, and express their support for the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter.

Both countries consider that the principles of national sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the protection of human rights, are the cornerstone of peaceful coexistence among peoples.

2. The President of the Government of Spain emphasizes the key role played by Mauritania on the international scene, as evidenced by its current chairmanship of the African Union, the exercise of which gives Mauritania a privileged role in various international forums, including the G20.

The two countries agree on the need to maintain their commitment to the Sahel region.

In this regard, President Sánchez also recalls the importance of the meeting of Special Envoys for the Sahel, held in Nouakchott in 2023 and co-organized by Spain on the occasion of its rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union.

3 – The President of Mauritania highlights Spain’s key role in the European Union, the G20 and the United Nations. He recalls Spain’s commitment and leadership in driving European policy in the Mediterranean and Sahel region, and welcomes its role as a link with the EU, as evidenced by the joint visit of President Sanchez and the President of the European Commission, Ms Ursula Von Der Leyen, to Mauritania in February 2024. This liaison work allows the EU to know and respond to Mauritania’s concerns.

4. The two countries welcome the support provided by the EU to Mauritania last February, during the joint visit of the President of the European Commission and President Sanchez, during which the EU announced the mobilization of an additional 210 million euros for Mauritania in 2024. Spain continues its mobilization work with the EU to ensure that these funds are mobilized within a dialogue that takes into account Mauritania’s priorities first and foremost, in accordance with the principle of ownership and in line with the spirit of “Team Europe”.

5 – Mauritania and Spain emphasize the importance of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development to be held in Seville in 2025, and urge the urgent need to adopt reforms to increase financing for sustainable development and accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

6. Faced with the magnitude of the climate emergency, Mauritania and Spain emphasize the need to accelerate the implementation of mitigation and adaptation measures and intensify global efforts to facilitate access by vulnerable developing countries to climate finance, technology and capacity-building, with a view to reducing net global greenhouse gas emissions to zero by mid-century and maintaining the 1.5°C target. The two countries reaffirm their determination to strengthen cooperation in protecting the environment, conserving biodiversity, managing pollution and promoting sustainable growth. The two countries agree to work constructively for a successful COP29 in Baku, which should significantly lead to tangible results, with the adoption of the new collective quantitative target, and lead to progress in mitigation. They also intend to work on the implementation of a loss and damage fund.

7. The two countries emphasize the importance of strengthening international cooperation to address desertification and drought. In this regard, they welcome the progress made by the International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA), officially launched by Spain and Senegal at COP27 2022 in Egypt, of which Mauritania is a founding member.

Strengthening bilateral relations between Mauritania and Spain

8. Mauritania and Spain note the excellent bilateral relations and underline in particular the ratification of the Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighborliness and Cooperation, which raises these relations to the highest political level. The two countries welcome the establishment of various cooperation mechanisms in the areas of health, migration and security, express their readiness to further strengthen cooperation in these traditional sectors and expand it to new areas of common interest, and announce the holding of the first high-level meeting between Mauritania and Spain in 2025.

9 – Mauritania and Spain face common security issues, threats and challenges. The two countries are committed to strengthening their cooperation, both bilaterally and multilaterally. They emphasize the need to identify common objectives in the fight against terrorism, extremism and organized crime, including smuggling and human trafficking, while reaffirming their determination to strengthen mutual consultations and cooperation in all relevant fields. In this regard, Mauritania and Spain welcome the adoption of a declaration to strengthen cooperation in the fight against international criminal organizations and networks.

10. President Sanchez welcomes the very positive developments in Mauritania in recent years, in particular the democratic consolidation underway since the 2019 presidential elections. He emphasizes that the results achieved in terms of stability and security represent a distinctive asset in the regional context.

11 – In the field of defense, Mauritania and Spain welcome the advanced step of approving, within the framework of NATO, the NATO Action Plan for the South, which is a continuation of the Madrid Summit. This action plan will strengthen the excellent relations that exist between the Ministries of Defense. The two countries are committed to continue holding regular bilateral joint committees and deepening cooperation, particularly in the area of capacity building, training and cooperation in multilateral initiatives, including participation in joint exercises.

12. On the economic front, Mauritania and Spain welcome their excellent bilateral relations that have led to the signing of several economic agreements. As a result, the Agreement on Mutual Investment Promotion and Protection, the 2008 External Debt Conversion Program and the G20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative remain in force. The two countries agree on the importance of strengthening trade and investment relations, and welcome the launch of the Mauritanian-Spanish Bilateral Business Forum, which will help strengthen relations between their private sectors.

13 – The two countries will work together to identify opportunities and ensure good conditions to promote economic cooperation and investment. This work will be based on the financial envelope announced during President Sánchez’s visit in February 2024, which amounts to 200 million euros and is mainly aimed at financing projects and investments in the renewable energy, green hydrogen, water and sanitation sectors in Mauritania. On the other hand, trade relations are strong and offer enormous potential for development.

14. Mauritania and Spain recognize the importance of cultural cooperation in strengthening human ties between their peoples. Spain welcomes Mauritania’s interest in teaching the Spanish language and intends to open a branch of the Instituto Cervantes in Nouakchott in response to the request of the Mauritanian authorities.

Work together for inclusive and sustainable development and for safe, orderly and regular migration in a secure environment and protection of property and persons

15. Mauritania and Spain note the importance of development cooperation for bilateral relations and recall that Mauritania is a priority country for Spanish cooperation. The new Country Partnership Framework (CPF), signed last February, has made it possible to update the common priorities of the two countries. The new document is in line with the Strategy for Accelerated Growth and Shared Prosperity (SCAPP 2016-2030) and the President of the Republic’s expanded “My Priorities” program.

16. The two Presidents welcome the excellent bilateral relations on migration. They express their commitment to work together to promote safe, regular and orderly migration and consider migration cooperation to be one of the priority areas of relations between the two countries. The Agreement on Migration Flows signed in 2007 is a starting point for reaching an understanding in this regard.

17. They recognize the positive contribution of migrants to the inclusive growth and sustainable development of their countries. They commit to continue working together to manage migration flows in a comprehensive manner that ensures fair and humane treatment of migrants, emphasize the need to combat racism and xenophobia in all its forms, and commit to join efforts in this regard.

18. Recognizing the challenges faced by women in the area of mobility, the two countries commit to adopting a gender-based approach that takes into account the defense of the rights of women and girls in all areas of bilateral relations on migration.

19. The two countries emphasize that the dialogue on migration between Mauritania and the European Union offers them new opportunities to continue to demonstrate their willingness to work together in the search for durable solutions to migration issues.

20. The two Presidents believe that the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on the regularization and regulation of migration flows will be useful for the implementation of a program of safe, regular and orderly migration between the two countries, including circular migration programs, pioneered in Europe, which give a special place to youth and women.

21. Significant results have already been achieved so far in this area. This visit reinforced the commitment to cooperate in the areas of security and home affairs, as well as in the areas covered by the 2018 Security Cooperation Agreement and the conclusions of the last Follow-up Committee, held in Madrid in 2023.