Commencement of a Coordination Meeting of the Directors General of the Civil Aviation Authorities

A coordination meeting of the directors general of civil aviation authorities of the Maghreb countries on the election of the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) (Category III) began Monday in Nouakchott.

The agenda of the meeting includes the approval of its draft agenda, joint coordination between the Arab Maghreb countries on candidacy for the elections of the Organization Council, and a memorandum of action submitted by Mauritania.

It also includes cooperation between the civil aviation authorities of the Arab Maghreb countries (bilateral project), in addition to discussing preparations for the 35th session of the African Civil Aviation Commission to be held from November 26 to 28.

The Director General of the National Civil Aviation Agency, Mr. Ankide Abdallah Abbas, explained that the civil aviation sector plays a key role in the economy of the Maghreb countries and constitutes an important basis for the development of other sectors due to its multifaceted nature.

The common challenge facing these Maghreb bodies is to represent their countries in regional and international civil aviation organisations, he said, noting that air transport depends heavily on the major decisions taken at the level of these bodies.

He pointed to the importance of strengthening fraternal ties and solidarity and developing a clearly defined strategy, adding that in recent years ICAO has adopted a policy of leaving no one behind.

The Director General of the Algerian National Civil Aviation Agency, Mr. Hassan Boulfelfel, indicated that the development of the civil aviation sector represents a key pillar in strengthening the economic and social structure of the countries of the Arab Maghreb, and a link between the peoples of the region, as it opens the horizons of cooperation between the outside world, stressing that this meeting seeks to explore action plans to develop and strengthen coordination among the countries of the region to serve the interests of their peoples.

For his part, the Director General of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation in Morocco, Mr. Tarek Talbi, highlighted the importance of joint work in order to develop this vital sector, hoping that the outcomes of this meeting will be a roadmap that contributes to the development of air transport.

For his part, the Director General of the Libyan Civil Aviation Authority, Mr. Mohamed Shanabek, appreciated this meeting, which will enable coordination and cooperation, which will be an important opportunity to develop a future work mechanism.

On the sidelines of the meeting, the Assistant Director General of the National Civil Aviation Agency, Mr. Bab Ahmed Ould Mohamed Bab Ahmed, told the Mauritanian News Agency that the meeting will address the views and aspirations regarding a unified candidate for both the Executive Bureau of ICAO and the Vice-President of the African Civil Aviation Commission representing North Africa.

The meeting was attended by Mauritania’s representative to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).