« 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, Mohamed Salem Ould Marzouk.
After highlighting the special nature of the Mauritanian Foreign Minister’s 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 neighborliness ».
In this regard, the Minister 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 referred to 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 Minister noted in this respect that the mechanisms of bilateral relations are working positively, as demonstrated by the holding in March 2022 of the Morocco-Mauritanian High Joint Commission, whose proceedings culminated in the signing of several agreements and achieved important results, highlighting His Majesty the King’s ambition to see Morocco-Mauritanian relations take on their full scope, given the importance of long-standing, human and neighborly ties.
He pointed out that the talks with his Mauritanian counterpart, which focused on the regional situation and issues, were an opportunity to reaffirm and welcome 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, stressing that Mauritania is now an important player in regional stability.
On the other hand, he noted that 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, Bourita underlined the great development of bilateral relations, with Morocco being Mauritania’s leading trading partner on the continent, and the leading African investor in Mauritania, stressing the ambition of His Majesty the King and His Excellency the Mauritanian president to raise them to strategic levels, so as to make them an example to follow in terms of neighborly relations between two countries endowed with all the assets enabling them to design an inspiring model of cooperation.
