President of Republic Receives EU Commission Vice President, Spain’s Interior Minister
On 11 October, in Nouakchott, His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ghazouani, the President of the Republic, received Mr. Markaritis Schinas, the Vice President of the EU Commission, and Mr. Fernando Grande-Marlaska, Spain’s Minister of Interior.
The meeting reviewed the areas of cooperation g between Mauritania and Spain, on the one hand, and with the European Union in general, and the ways and means of pushing them toward more promoting horizons to serve common interests. The two parties also reviewed issues of common concern.
Shortly after the meeting, the EU Commission Vice President told the Mauritanian news agency he was delighted to be in Mauritania with the Spanish Minister of Interior, the current President of the EU Council of Ministers.
He added: “My presence here is rare. We are here to convey the following message: Mauritania is for us an essential partner in this region. Our bilateral cooperation comes from very far away, and we share real common interests, whether it is advancing the ecological transition, a sustainable economy, regional stability, and orderly migration.”
Regarding cooperation between Mauritania and the EU, Mr. Schinas stressed that the EU has deployed 600 million Euros in Mauritania to date.
“This is a significant financial package and we will do more under the new scheme that we call “Global Gateway”. There will be the desire of the EU and Spain to deepen our common interests with the assistance of the Development Bank and our Member States in new areas of cooperation such as hydrogen, digital, connectivity, and land and sea transport,” as he put it.
In this context, Mr. Grande-Marlaska declared having transmitted, on behalf of Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the EU Commission, to Mr. Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ghazouani, the President of the Republic, an invitation to participate in the Global Gateway summit, which will take place at the end of October in Brussels. “It is an honor for us to welcome the President of the Republic in a few days.”
Speaking about migration and the mobility of people, the EU Commission Vice President explained that irregular migration has cost many lives in the Mediterranean. “We want to build an international coalition against traffickers and smugglers, and we want to help all the countries in this region, and also Mauritania to provide opportunities for their fellow citizens to build better lives at home instead of putting their lives in the hands of smugglers. We welcome the cooperation we receive from Mauritania, a country which has proven itself to be a strong partner in the orderly management of the migratory flow”.
Regarding the prospects for cooperation in this area, Mr. Fernando Grande-Marlaska declared that his institution wishes to reiterate to Mauritania the interest in helping it in the current circumstances where it is not simply becoming a transit country but also a destination country due to instability in the Sahel region.
“In summary, we are here to revalidate the quality and depth of this relationship.We will open new avenues of professional training to help Mauritanian youth and chair initiatives to promote legal migration. Faced with a region which has suffered greatly and continues to suffer from instability and border friction, Mauritania will not be alone, and Europe and Spain will be at its side,” he concluded.
For his part, the Spanish Minister of Interior indicated that he was delighted to be received by the President of the Republic and visit this friendly country of Spain for the fourth time.
He added that he was there to deepen bilateral relations, expressing Spain’s appreciation of the role Mauritania plays in managing irregular migration.
“Mauritania can count on the support of Spain and Europe.”, as he put it.