Spain and Mauritania sign four agreements on transport, social security, cybersecurity and national parks
The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, and the leader of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, met in the capital of the North African country, Nouakchott, where, in a joint statement, they showed the four agreements signed in what has been the first High Level Meeting (HLM) between the heads of both countries.
The main objective of the meeting, according to both presidents, is to improve cooperation between the two states, especially in the areas of transport, social security, cybersecurity and national parks.
During the meeting, Spain and Mauritania highlighted the good relations they maintain and their desire to cooperate closely with regard to migration, economic development, security, teaching Spanish and fisheries (one of the sectors that contributes most to the country's Gross Domestic Product). Together with the president, Pedro Sánchez, were present, the third vice president and six ministers. As for the Mauritanian presence, the presence of the counterpart ministers should be highlighted.
According to Sánchez, the presence of seven senior government officials is a demonstration of 'the extent and depth of Spain's collaboration with Mauritania.' He added that 'the intention to continue strengthening ties will remain a priority for the current government team.' Finally, the president clarified that 'in addition to traditional cooperation in fisheries and assistance, our bilateral relations are becoming increasingly important in areas such as the economy, migration, security and culture.'
Four agreements
Under the premise of cooperating and developing relations between the two nations, Pedro Sánchez and Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, together with their ministerial delegations, signed four agreements, also known as Memoranda of Understanding (MoU), on four key areas for Mauritania and for Spanish foreign policy in North Africa.
First of all, an agreement was signed to develop the Transport and Infrastructure area. In it, it was agreed to establish a collaboration framework to work and plan a joint strategy to help promote public rail transport, airport management, the digitalization of service providers, support in air navigation and the sustainability of public transport with guarantees for all Mauritanians.
Secondly, it was agreed to strengthen the management of the country's large National Parks such as: the protected areas of Mauritania; the Banco de Arguin national park; and the Diawling National Park. To this end, both Executives will cooperate in the management of these natural spaces and biosphere reserves, promoting the exchange of experiences and training on issues of biodiversity, ecosystem restoration and environmental education.
The third agreement is related to the security and the improvement of the rights of immigrant workers. It has been signed to establish a framework to regulate the conditions and review the agreements for people who come to the Islamic Republic to work from other African countries.
Finally, an MoU on cybersecurity has been established between the National Institute of Cybersecurity (INCIBE) and its counterpart in Mauritania. This agreement will help the creation of a new cooperation framework to improve cyber capabilities and digital resilience, through the exchange of information, especially on terrorist threats, protection of children's rights; and specialized training.
However, in addition to these four Memorandums of Understanding, Spain, aware of the importance of the fishing sector for Mauritania, has offered the Intermares fisheries cooperation school ship, which will provide nautical and fishing training to workers in the sector in Mauritania during the year 2026, in the two most important ports of the country: Nuadibu and Nouakchott.
Keys to the joint declaration
In addition to the signing of the four agreements, the presidents of Spain and Mauritania established, through a joint declaration, the wishes to maintain the current relations. Therefore, it was agreed to improve political and multilateral commitment through an improvement in the capacities of dialogue between the two countries; and to promote a more just international order through respect for and adherence to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.
During the statement, the President of the Government of Spain thanked his Mauritanian counterpart for the presence of the African country at the Seville summit and the positive assessment of it. Finally, the opening of new centers of the Cervantes Institute in the capital of the country was agreed.
