Eduardo González
The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, held a telephone conversation this past Monday with the President of Mauritania, Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, to whom he assured that his country will continue to have the support of Spain within the European Union, especially in matters migratory.
During the conversation, as reported by Moncloa, Pedro Sánchez thanked Mohamed Ould Ghazouani for the recent ratification of the Treaty of Good Neighborhood, Friendship and Cooperation between both countries, “an important step to deepen the bilateral relationship.”
According to the Government, Spain considers Mauritania a “priority and strategic partner” in migration matters. For this reason, Sánchez expressed his determination to continue strengthening cooperation in the fight against irregular immigration and human trafficking networks. Likewise, the President of the Government assured that Mauritania “will continue to count on the support of Spain in the European Union” and recalled that, during the recently concluded rotating Presidency of the EU Council, “Spain has not ceased to advocate for strengthening migration cooperation with transit countries, in general, and especially with Mauritania.”
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, traveled to Mauritania in mid-December, where he conveyed to his counterpart, Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug, Spain’s support in the face of the growing migratory pressure that the country is suffering. Mauritania has gone through “a difficult time” this year in immigration matters, with “a very strong increase in departures to Spain, especially to the Canary Islands,” he recalled. Mauritania, which is “the first to suffer this migratory pressure,” maintains “close cooperation” with Spain in migration control and has shown that it is an “exemplary partner,” he added.