Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ghazouani issued directives to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to begin procedures for opening a Consulate General of Mauritania in Casablanca, as we learned from our sources.
These sources reported to Hespress that Mauritania intends to establish a consulate general in Casablanca with the aim of strengthening relations between the two countries.
They explain that ” These instructions have reached advanced stages, as the Mauritanian authorities proposed the name of the new Consul General. The Mauritanian diplomatic representation is expected to begin its duties in the coming days“.
And adding: ” The opening of this consulate would give new momentum to relations between the two countries, especially with regard to economic exchanges, movement of people and trade in goods.“, stressing that” The number of members of the Mauritanian community in Morocco is estimated at about 20,000 individuals, including 4,000 students who are continuing their studies in Moroccan institutions.“.
These same sources explained that this new initiative falls within the framework of the continuous improvement of relations between Rabat and Nouakchott since the current president came to power, after Mauritania took a series of measures to warm its relations with its Moroccan neighbour.
From this standpoint, after a break that lasted about nine years, the High Joint Committee for Cooperation between the two countries met in March of last year, headed by Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch and Mauritanian Prime Minister Mohamed Ould Bilal. During this meeting, the two sides concluded 13 cooperation agreements covering various fields.
In addition, Mohamed Salem Ould Marzouk, Mauritanian Foreign Minister, made several visits to the Kingdom, the most recent of which was his participation in the meeting of foreign ministers of the African Atlantic countries, which was held in Rabat last July.
It should be noted that Morocco recently carried out, under royal instructions, a movement within its military attaché in the Republic of Mauritania. Colonel Mohamed Al-Saghir was succeeded by Colonel Moncef Bakhat in July, as announced in a press release by the Mauritanian army.
It should be noted that Rabat and Nouakchott are members of the Mediterranean “5 + 5 Defense” initiative, along with other Maghreb countries and five European countries, most notably Spain and Portugal. The P5+5 group was established with the aim of strengthening cooperation among the countries of the Mediterranean basin, in the face of common security challenges among member states.
