Nasser Bourita the Moroccan Minister for Foreign Affairs African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates held a top level meeting in Rabat yesterday with the Foreign Minister of Mauritania Mohamed Salem Ould Marzouk.
“His Majesty the King considers that Mauritania has its rightful place and importance in the Royal Initiative to promote access to the Atlantic Ocean for Sahel countries,” said Bourita at a joint press conference with his Mauritanian counterpart.
The Mauritanian Foreign Minister was on a special visit to Morocco on the instructions of His Excellency the Mauritanian president, Mohamed Ould Cheikh El-Ghazouani.
Bourita stressed the importance of relations between the two countries, describing them as “special and long-standing, dictated by geography, blood ties and neighbourliness”. He also highlighted the special importance HM the King attaches to Moroccan-Mauritanian relations, as well as the Sovereign’s interest in their development at all levels, adding that the consolidation of bilateral relations has always been at the heart of the Royal High Directions in view of the exceptional ties uniting the two countries.
Bourita recalled the last telephone conversation between HM the King and His Excellency the Mauritanian president, during which the importance and particularity of bilateral relations were reaffirmed, as well as the high esteem the Sovereign has for president Mohamed Ould Cheikh El-Ghazouani and for his role both in promoting stability and development in Mauritania and at regional level, establishing his country as a hub of stability in the Sahel and West Africa.
The talks between Mauritania and Morocco focused on regional issues, and provided an opportunity to reaffirm the positive development of bilateral relations between the two countries. Both parties welcomed the positive dynamic of Mauritanian diplomacy, thanks to the role of His Excellency the Mauritanian president, his credibility and the confidence he inspires in all partners, as an important player in regional stability.
On cross-cultural links, Mauritanian students present in Morocco occupy first place in terms of numbers and scholarships awarded, a fact which confirms the enduring human links between the two peoples. On the economic front, Morocco is Mauritania’s leading trading partner on the continent, and the leading African investor in Mauritania. This demonstrates the ambition of His Majesty the King and His Excellency the Mauritanian president to further develop strategic relations, so as to make them an example to follow in terms of neighbourly relations between two countries endowed with all the assets enabling them to design an inspiring model of cooperation.
