Talks session between the Egyptian Foreign Minister and his Mauritanian counterpart

Dr. Badr Abdel-Aati received Foreign Minister The Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Mauritanians Abroad, Dr. Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug, held a meeting on Sunday, May 24, to discuss ways to enhance bilateral relations and consult on the latest regional developments.

The depth of fraternal bonds

The Foreign Minister conveyed the greetings of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to his brother, President Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ghazouani, reaffirming the deep fraternal ties that bind the two brotherly countries, and expressing the aspiration to elevate the level of bilateral relations in all fields.

For his part, the Mauritanian minister conveyed President Ghazouani's greetings to the President of the Republic and delivered a written message from his brother, the President of Mauritania, addressed to His Excellency the President. The Mauritanian minister praised the distinguished level of bilateral relations, the ongoing coordination, and the mutual support in diplomatic and regional forums.

Ambassador Tamim Khallaf, the official spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that the talks witnessed an agreement on the need to advance various cooperation paths, foremost among them economic and investment cooperation between the two countries, to meet the aspirations of the two brotherly peoples, especially in the energy, mining, fisheries and logistics sectors. The two ministers emphasized the strategic importance of holding regular meetings of the Joint Committee and building on the success achieved by the first session of the Egyptian-Mauritanian Economic Forum, in order to ensure a qualitative leap in the volume of trade exchange. The two ministers expressed their hope that Cairo would host the third session of the Joint Committee soon.

In the context of advancing development projects, both sides commended the progress made in renewing the Memorandum of Understanding for the Nouakchott Tramway Network project in cooperation with the Arab Contractors Company. Minister Abdel-Aty highlighted the significant capabilities of Egyptian national companies in executing national and infrastructure projects, companies renowned for their regional efficiency. Discussions also touched upon the shared desire to launch a strategic cooperation initiative in the agricultural sector to enhance food security for both countries.

The official spokesman added that, on the regional level, developments in the Middle East occupied a large part of the discussions, as Minister Abdel-Aati reviewed the parameters of the Egyptian position regarding the current crises, foremost among them the important developments regarding the American-Iranian negotiation track, where the Foreign Minister expressed the hope that the negotiations would result in a sustainable agreement that takes into account the concerns of all parties and ends the war.

The consultations also extended to include the security and political challenges in the African continent, particularly in the Sahel, Sahara and Horn of Africa region, where the two ministers stressed the importance of combining Arab and African efforts to develop sustainable solutions to existing crises, and to support peaceful settlement efforts, thereby enhancing the ability of the continent’s countries to confront common challenges, combat terrorism and achieve comprehensive development.