Nouakchott – Mauritania and Spain confirmed on Wednesday that they face common security issues, threats and challenges that “require strengthening bilateral and multilateral cooperation,” and the two countries affirmed their commitment to working “to enhance regular migration.”
This came in a joint statement published by the Mauritanian News Agency, at the conclusion of a visit by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to the capital, Nouakchott, as part of an African tour that also includes Gambia and Senegal.
In the statement, the two countries stressed the need to “set common goals in combating terrorism, extremism and organised crime, including smuggling and human trafficking.”
Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani and Sanchez were quoted as saying that they “praised the two countries’ relations on migration, and affirmed their commitment to working together to promote safe, regular and orderly migration.”
According to the same source, Ghazouani and Sanchez explained that “cooperation in the field of migration is one of the priority areas in relations between the two countries.”
The two sides stressed “continuing to work together to manage migration flows in a comprehensive manner that ensures fair and humane treatment of migrants.”
They stressed the “need to combat racism and xenophobia in all their forms, and to unify efforts in this regard.”
The two sides noted that the dialogue on migration between Mauritania and the European Union “provides them with new opportunities to continue demonstrating their willingness to work together in the search for lasting solutions to migration issues.”
According to the Mauritanian News Agency, on the sidelines of Sanchez’s visit, the two countries signed a “memorandum of understanding on immigration and a joint declaration of intent on combating organized crime.”
According to the same source, the memorandum of understanding on migration aims to establish a framework for cooperation between the two countries to address issues of common interest in the field of migration “through the implementation of a pilot project to select Mauritanian workers in the country of origin.”
During the visit, which began on Tuesday evening, Sanchez held talks at the presidential palace in Nouakchott with the Mauritanian president, with immigration issues at the forefront.
This is the second time that Sanchez has visited Mauritania this year, as he visited Nouakchott in February, accompanied by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
At the end of the February visit, the two European officials announced €522 million in aid to Mauritania to boost its economic development and combat irregular migration.
Nouakchott is linked to agreements in the field of combating irregular migration with several European countries, especially Spain, as Mauritania is a major crossing point for migrants from African countries who wish to migrate to Europe, in search of a better life and fleeing armed conflicts and economic crises in their countries.
In late July, Mauritanian authorities recovered 25 bodies of illegal immigrants, and were able to rescue 103 others after their boat sank off the coast of the capital, Nouakchott.
Days before that, Mauritanian authorities announced the discovery of the bodies of 87 illegal immigrants near the shores of the city of Angakou, in the far southwest of the country.
Anatolia
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2024-08-29 03:39:16
