<h6><strong>The Diplomat</strong></h6> <h4><strong>The Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, inaugurated this Wednesday the extension of the Cervantes Institute in Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania, which will be attached to the Cervantes Institute in Rabat.</strong></h4> The opening of the extension was included in the joint declaration adopted on August 27, 2024, by the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, and the President of Mauritania, Mohamed Ould Ghazuani, during the Prime Minister's visit to the African country. During the event, which took place within the framework of the first High-Level Meeting (HLM) between Spain and Mauritania, Albares expressed his satisfaction with the growing level of interest in learning the Spanish language and culture among Mauritania's younger population and expressed Spain's desire "to strengthen this objective of promoting the Spanish language and culture" in the country. Spain already has three assistantships with the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) at the University of Nouakchott Al Aasriya, as well as a scholarship program to further increase existing interest. In addition, the recently inaugurated extension of the Cervantes Institute in Nouakchott is also in place. Furthermore, according to the Foreign Ministry, the new Cervantes Institute headquarters in Nouakchott paves the way for exploring new avenues of collaboration in the teaching of Spanish, teacher training, and cultural exchange between the two countries. "We are here today because we firmly believe in the language's ability to bring people together," the minister stated at the inauguration. <h5><strong>€50 million loan</strong></h5> Separately, the Foreign Ministry officially announced at the RAN the granting of a €50 million loan to Mauritania, through the Fund for the Promotion of Development (FONPRODE), for the implementation of the Senegal River Valley Development Project, in collaboration with the World Bank. The project, FONPRODE's first financial cooperation operation in Mauritania, aims to improve access to integrated, inclusive, and climate-resilient infrastructure and basic services in border communities in four priority regions for Spanish Cooperation: Brakna, Gorgol, Trarza, and Guidimaka. With a five-year implementation horizon, the initiative is estimated to directly benefit 1.2 million people. This investment was authorized by the Council of Ministers on July 8.
