Mauritania, EU Sign Two Financing Agreements
On 9 May in Nouakchott, Mr. Ousmane Mamoudou Kane, the Minister of Economic Affairs and Promotion of the Productive Sectors signed with Ambassador Gwilym Jones, the head of European Delegation, two financing agreements for an envelope of 47,680,000 euros, i.e., MRU 1,840,000,000.
The first financing agreement of 39,700,000 euros is intended for the human development program which aims to strengthen the education system, support reforms, and the implementation of national policy in the education sector. This program also aims to improve access to quality health care for the most vulnerable populations, in line with the national health policy to achieve universal health coverage by 2030.
The second financing agreement of approximately 8,000,000 euros relates to a support program for financial and administrative governance, particularly through support for reforms of public financing, administration, and the civil service to improve the quality of services provided to citizens.
In a speech on this occasion, Mr. Kane expressed to the EU Ambassador the heartfelt thanks of the Mauritanian people and government for this significant funding which will have a significant impact on the socio-economic development of the country. He added that this significant mobilization of resources is a mark of the European Union’s confidence and support for the reforms carried out by Mauritania following the commitments of the President of the Republic.
For his part, the EU Ambassador indicated that the signing of these two agreements is part of a broader financial framework of an ambitious and strong partnership with Mauritania.
He stressed that the EU is committed to funding programs and initiatives worth 125 million euros between 2021 and 2024 to strengthen human development, support the economy, particularly key sectors such as agriculture and energy, and strengthen good governance.
In addition, Mr. Jones announced that in the context of the fight against crises and emergencies, the EU signed, this year, contracts worth 9.5 million euros for emergency intervention programs that will focus on food, nutrition, and medical care, in the wilayas of Hodh El Charghi, Hodh El Gharbi, Brakna, Gorgol, Guidimagha, and Tagant.