Joint Statement culminating in Senegalese Prime Minister’s Visit to Mauritania

The joint statement issued following the working and friendship visit of the Senegalese Prime Minister, Mr. Ousmane Sonko, to our country, stressed the strength of cooperation relations between the two brotherly countries, stressing that this visit was an important opportunity to enhance cooperation and raise it to the highest levels to serve the interests of the two brotherly peoples.

The following is the text of the statement signed by the two sides in the presence of the Prime Ministers and members of the two delegations, read in Arabic by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Mauritanians Abroad, Mr. Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug, and the French version read by the Minister of African Integration and Foreign Affairs of Senegal, Ms. Yassine Fall:

“1. At the invitation of his brother and friend,  Mr. Mokhtar Ould Diay, Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Mr. Ousmane Sonko, Prime Minister of the Republic of Senegal, paid a working and friendship visit to Mauritania on 12, 13 and 14 January 2025;

The Senegalese delegation included the Ministers of African Integration and Foreign Affairs, Interior and Home Security, Fisheries, Maritime and Port Infrastructure, Petroleum and Energy, Infrastructure and Land and Air Transport, as well as a number of senior officials from various ministries.

2- This visit comes in the context of strengthening high-level exchanges between the two countries, which were characterized, in particular, by the mutual visits of His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani to the Republic of Senegal and His Excellency Mr. Bassirou Diomaye Dikhar Faye to the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.

It also falls within the framework of deepening the distinguished relations between the Islamic Republic of Mauritania and the Republic of Senegal, which have woven the historical, geographical, cultural and political ties that unite the two countries.

3. During the visit, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Senegal was received by His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, and the Senegalese Prime Minister conveyed the greetings of His Excellency Mr. Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye, President of the Republic of Senegal, to his Mauritanian counterpart.

For his part, the Mauritanian president thanked the Senegalese Prime Minister for his visit, wishing the Mauritanian and Senegalese peoples further prosperity and joint progress.

4. The two Prime Ministers held bilateral talks, during which they addressed a number of strategic issues of common interest, before the meeting expanded to the members of the two delegations.

The two Prime Ministers delivered speeches during which they valued the multifaceted cooperation between the two countries, the recent high-level meetings between experts on economic, technical and political issues, in addition to the organization of the thirteenth session of the Joint Grand Committee for Cooperation in Nouakchott in November 2024, in order to resume the regularity of its sessions, the last of which was held in Dakar in 2015.

The two sides also highlighted the exemplary of bilateral relations and the full convergence of positions on common values, such as the promotion of democracy, common development and regional integration through strong joint mechanisms.

In this context, the two sides renewed their commitment to work together to achieve stability, security and development in the Sahel region, and also stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation within regional frameworks to address the challenges of peace, counter-terrorism and strengthening resilience to climate change.

5. The two Prime Ministers reviewed the various areas of cooperation, expressed satisfaction with the achievements made, and stressed the need to strengthen cooperation in the fields of security, conditions of residence and stability of the citizens of the two countries, energy, transport, fishery, migration and livestock.
6. Aware of the challenges related to the implementation of joint decisions emanating from the cooperation mechanisms, the two sides decided, on the basis of the agreement establishing the Joint Grand Committee for Cooperation signed on January 14, 1972 in Dakar, to organize an annual session of the Joint Grand Committee under the chairmanship of the two Prime Ministers. The secretaries of the Joint Commission, which is rotated by one of the ambassadors of the two countries, will be tasked with preparing and submitting the results of the meetings for approval by the leaders of the two countries.
7. In parallel, the two countries will continue to study the establishment of a Senegalese-Mauritanian Secretariat for Cooperation and Development.

8- The two sides also stressed, on the other hand, the importance of intensifying meetings between sectoral ministries to enhance cooperation in specific areas and encourage joint initiatives to serve development.

 

9. On the security issue, the two sides discussed the draft agreement aimed at enabling the free movement of people and facilitating the conditions of residence and stability for citizens of the two countries.
10. The two sides agreed to limit the draft agreement to aspects related to the free movement of persons and conditions of entry, residence and stability in both countries.

The Mauritanian side also reiterated its commitment to implement the High Instructions of His Excellency the President in this regard, as soon as possible, and to submit to the Senegalese side, before the end of the first quarter of 2025, a revised draft agreement containing, in particular, the new conditions for Senegalese citizens to obtain a residence card.

Moreover, the two sides agreed to strengthen and activate periodic meetings between the administrative authorities and border defense and security agencies of the two countries.

In this context, they agreed to establish an operational framework to address the common security challenges affecting the two countries, particularly in the areas of combating irregular migration and transnational organized crime. In this regard, the Mauritanian side will submit, as soon as possible, to the Senegalese side a draft agreement on migration.

In light of the magnitude of cross-border security challenges, including the smuggling of drugs and similar materials, arms proliferation, cross-border criminal networks, money laundering and others, and aware of the close link between terrorism and organized crime, the two sides commended the effective cooperation between the defence forces and police services of the two countries, and agreed to unite their efforts to establish a comprehensive and integrated strategic framework that guides and regulates their common security.

10- In the field of energy, the two sides praised the exemplary and strategic coordination between the teams of the two countries, which contributed to the success of the energy sector projects, overcoming all challenges, and the success of the joint venture “The Great Turtle Ahmeyim” (GTA); this success culminated in the joint announcement of the opening of the first well in December 2024.

In light of these gains, the two sides expressed their common will to continue and strengthen this coordination in the spirit of permanent consultation, commitment, complementarity and partnership based on common interests.

In this context, they agreed to intensify efforts to preserve their common interests and maximize the social and economic benefits resulting from the first and future phases of the GTA project, by supplying their local markets with natural gas as part of the implementation of the “Gas-to-Power” strategy, in addition to creating a value chain and upgrading local content.

In this regard, the two sides praised the signing of an agreement protocol on January 13, 2025, aimed at implementing the rules and mechanisms for local content applied to the GTA project, in addition to a set of measures aimed at enhancing the participation of the private sectors of the two countries in the development of the value chain of the oil and gas industry.

11- In the field of transport, the two sides stressed the strategic importance of the Rosso Bridge project, which is a symbol of cooperation aimed at promoting cross-border mobility and intensifying economic exchanges, and stressed the need to strengthen transport agreements between the two countries, ensuring a balanced distribution of shipping and optimal use of infrastructure, while committing to addressing challenges related to unifying control standards and combating tax evasion, with the aim of achieving maximum mutual benefit.

In this context, the two sides agreed that joint action, in the presence of all concerned authorities from both countries, will be taken to abolish the practice of unloading cargo, during a bilateral meeting to be organized in Rosso in March 2025.

12- In the field of fisheries, the two sides reviewed the conditions for the exploitation of fishery resources with a view to enhancing and developing fishing potential between the two countries, to make fish products more available and accessible to the population. The two Prime Ministers directed the Ministers responsible for fisheries of both countries to take all necessary measures to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the fields of research, fisheries development, fishing control, sanitary inspection, product value enhancement, aquaculture, continental fishing and marine affairs.

13. In the field of livestock, they stressed the importance of resuming the meetings of the Joint Commission to Enhance Coordination and Conflict Prevention and to Combat Transboundary Animal Diseases, and considered that cooperation in supplying markets during key periods, such as Eid al-Adha, represents a successful model of cooperation that should be developed

14- The two Prime Ministers chaired a roundtable between the public and private sectors, organized by the Mauritanian Agency for the Promotion of Investments (APIM) and the Senegalese Agency for the Promotion of Investments and Major Business (APIX), during which the central role of the private sector in strengthening strategic cooperation between Mauritania and Senegal was emphasized.

APIM and APIX, in collaboration with the private sectors of Mauritania and Senegal, also agreed to organize the second edition of the Mauritanian-Senegalese Economic Forum in October 2025 in Nouakchott.

The two agencies are committed to strengthening their cooperation to identify regional integration projects within the framework of public-private partnerships, and in coordination with the private sectors of both countries.

Both sides praised the establishment of the Mauritanian-Senegalese Business Council in October 2024.

15. During this visit, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Senegal, accompanied by his Mauritanian counterpart, visited Nouadhibou, where they were briefed on several strategic facilities, including the facilities of the National Company for Industry and Mines (SNIM), the mineral port and a fishing company, and received detailed explanations on techniques for processing and exporting iron ore, the logistics operations of the port that reflect Mauritania’s industrial potential, as well as the level of development of the fishery products processing sector.

The Senegalese Prime Minister expressed his admiration for the remarkable progress made by Mauritania in developing these infrastructures and industrial potential, stressing the importance of these models in strengthening regional cooperation and stimulating sustainable economic growth.

16- At the end of his visit, Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko expressed his sincere thanks and gratitude to his brother and friend, Prime Minister Mokhtar Ould Diay, and to the Mauritanian government and people for the warm reception and hospitality he and his accompanying delegation received during their stay.

17-  Mr. Ousmane Sonko extended an invitation to his brother and friend, Mr. Mokhtar Ould Diay, to pay a working visit to the Republic of Senegal, which was accepted, provided that the date of which would be determined through diplomatic channels.

Issued in Nouakchott, on January 14, 2025, in two copies, in Arabic and French, both texts equally authentic.

For the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Mr. Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Mauritanians Abroad.

For the Republic of Senegal, Mrs. Yassine Fall, Minister of African Integration and Foreign Affairs”.