Minister of Energy discusses with EU Delegation the Promotion of Cooperation in the Field of Energy and Green Hydrogen

The Minister of Energy and Petroleum, Mohamed Ould Khaled, held on Thursday a meeting with a high-level delegation from the European Union (EU) headed by the Commissioner for International Partnerships, Mr. Joseph Sekela, as part of a visit aimed at enhancing cooperation between Mauritania and the EU in the fields of energy and green hydrogen.

During the meeting, the two parties discussed several key topics, most notably green hydrogen, where the Minister reviewed the steps taken by Mauritania to develop it, including the legal and regulatory framework to attract investments, supportive infrastructure for renewable energy such as the high voltage line between Nouakchott City and Nema City, and sustainable industry such as opportunities for cooperation in green steel production.

Minister of Energy and Petroleum, Mohamed Ould Khaled, said that relations between Mauritania and the EU have always been based on mutual respect and a shared vision of sustainable development, noting that their strategic cooperation today is even more important as they deal with global challenges such as the energy transition, climate change, and exploring economic diversification opportunities inherent in renewable energy and the green economy.

He added that the Council of Ministers, under the chairmanship of HE President of the Republic Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, approved a new law aimed at encouraging investments in Mauritania, and seeks to establish a new investment policy aimed at making Mauritania a more attractive economic environment for private investment, focusing on achieving a set of important strategic objectives.

For his part, the EU Commissioner for International Cooperation and Partnerships, Mr. Joseph Sekela, stressed that this visit comes within the framework of continuous coordination between the two countries to enhance cooperation in the field of energy, especially green hydrogen. Besides, he noted that the visit comes after the President of the EU Commission visit to Mauritania last year, in addition to other visits in which a number of European private sector companies participated in the framework of exploring investment in the field of green energy.

The Commissioner explained that Mauritania is a peaceful and stable country, which makes it eligible to host projects that the EU intends to launch in the field of clean and renewable energy production.

The meeting was attended by the Secretary General of the Ministry and a number of sector supervisors, the EU Ambassador to Mauritania, and a high-level delegation from the European Union.