Foreign Minister, Senegalese Counterpart Chair Mauritania-Senegal Grand Joint Cooperation Commission
On 5 November, in Nouakchott, Mr. Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Mauritanians Abroad, cochaired, with Ms. Yacine Fall, Senegal’s Minister of African Integration and Foreign Affairs, the opening of the 13th session of the Mauritania-Senegal Grand Joint Commission for Cooperation.
At the session’s opening, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Mauritanians Abroad expressed his delight at receiving his counterpart and the delegation members accompanying him in his second country, Mauritania.
He noted that this meeting, which brings together Senegalese and Mauritanian brothers, friends, and neighbors, is the translation of the will expressed by the Presidents of the two countries, His Excellency Mohamed Ould Cheikh El-Ghazouani and His Excellency Bassirou Diomaye Faye.
He praised the two Presidents’ leadership and spirit of responsibility, noting that these qualities constitute a lever for achieving the happiness of the two peoples linked by multiple and diverse relations.
He pointed out that the President of the Republic and his Senegalese counterpart had stressed on more than one occasion in their various meetings the need to strengthen relations between the two countries, noting that Mr. Mohamed Ould Cheikh El-Ghazouani’s presence at the swearing-in ceremony of Mr. Bassirou Diomaye Diaoui following his election in the first round of the presidential election on March 24, 2024, followed by the first official trip abroad by his Senegalese counterpart and brother to visit our capital, Nouakchott, is a strong sign of the firm determination to continue along the path of strengthening the historic ties between the two countries.
The first edition of the Senegal-Mauritania Economic Forum, held in Dakar on 30 September and 1 October, opened a new chapter in economic cooperation, which has since been extended to the private sectors of both countries.
The Grand Joint Commission for Cooperation, now in its thirteenth year after almost half a century of existence, also bears witness to the deep-rooted nature of these relations, as he put it.
He stressed the need to make these relations a pillar to build our joint efforts to make our bilateral cooperation more dynamic and stronger and our diplomatic work more harmonious and consistent with a constantly changing international reality.
He expressed his conviction that the program prepared by experts from both countries is rich and ambitious and will meet our aspirations, underlining that this important package of agreements will give new impetus to Mauritanian-Senegalese cooperation.
For her part, Senegal’s Minister of African Integration and Foreign Affairs welcomed the visit, which was part of the finalization of the 13th session of the Grand Joint Commission for Cooperation between the Republic of Senegal and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, expressing her gratitude to the government and people of Mauritania for the warm welcome, hospitality, and attention she and her delegation had received since their arrival in the hospitable land of Mauritania.
She pointed out that today’s meeting “follows the working and friendly visit of the President of the Republic of Senegal, His Excellency Mr. Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye, to Mauritania on 18 April 2024”, adding that this first international trip by the President of Senegal after his accession to power “bears witness, if any were needed, of his desire to consolidate the spirit of permanent dialogue with his counterpart, neighbor, and friend, His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Ould Cheikh EL Ghazouani, President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, who had previously honored him with his presence at his swearing-in ceremony in Dakar on 2 April 2024.”
The Minister noted that the holding of the 13th Session of the Senegal-Mauritania Grand Joint Cooperation Commission, on 2 and 3, 2024 February, nine (9) years after the previous edition in 2015, has contributed to reinforcing the highly strategic nature of the partnership between our two countries”, adding that beyond the agreements negotiated, “this preparatory meeting had above all enabled new perspectives to be drawn up and technical cooperation to be exchanged in areas of common interest.”
“On the state of bilateral cooperation relations, the main ongoing issues revolve, among other priority projects, around security and the fight against terrorism, the project for joint exploitation of the Grand Tortue/ Ahmeyim (GTA) gas field, the project to build the Rosso Bridge over the Senegal River, as well as settlement issues for our nationals on both sides of our borders, not forgetting the current phenomenon of irregular migration, with its attendant consequences for our young people, and the need for a humanitarian approach in dealing with it”, said Ms. Yacine Fall.
She pointed out that she was accompanied, “as part of this visit to finalize the Grand Joint Commission, by representatives of strategic and priority sectors in our bilateral cooperation, who were tasked, in liaison with their Mauritanian counterparts, to reflect on recent developments and updates in this cooperation, since the February meeting”.