Eduardo González
The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, discussed yesterday with the President of Mauritania, Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, the reinforcement of Europe’s cooperation with this African country in its role as guarantor of security in the Sahel and in the management of the refugee population and in the fight against human trafficking.
Sánchez and Von der Leyen made a joint visit to Nouakchott this Thursday in which they discussed with El Ghazouani the strategic relations between, on the one hand, Mauritania and the European Union and, on the other hand, between Spain and the African country, relations “that encompass diverse areas: political, economic, commercial, cultural, cooperation and security,” according to the joint statement adopted at the end of the meeting.
During the meeting, Sánchez and Von der Leyen praised Mauritania’s “role as an engine of stability in a subregional environment faced with important security challenges” and the three leaders shared the same concerns about the growth of instability, “which puts into jeopardize any development effort.”
In this regard, the Mauritanian president explained the regional security situation and its implications not only in the Sahel and Africa in general, but also beyond, for which he warned of the need to “continue mobilizing the international community for the benefit of security and development in the Sahel”.
In this sense, Sánchez and Von der Leyen praised “the central role of Mauritania in the efforts to seek stability in the Sahel” and committed to providing this country “with the necessary support to strengthen its central and positive role in the subregion and its ability to effectively address multiple security and economic challenges, within a framework of inclusive and sustainable development.”
Likewise, the two European leaders committed to strengthening their cooperation on peace and security with Mauritania. In this sense, Von der Leyen reaffirmed the EU’s support for the defense and security forces of Mauritania, especially through equipment and the training of a new Mauritanian battalion to combat terrorism, and expressed its willingness to contribute in the framework of joint efforts for the G5-Sahel Defense College to continue its activities.
Refugees and irregular migration
The two European leaders also praised the efforts made by Mauritania to host refugees and recognized the pressure that this flow of people puts on local resources and population. Mauritania currently hosts more than 150,000 displaced people and the migratory flow does not decrease.
For this reason, the three parties recalled the urgent need for support from the international community “that is equal to the challenges derived from this situation”, especially with regard to care for refugees and assistance to communities. host. For this reason, Von der Leyen announced a strengthening of support for refugees and host communities and Sánchez committed to doubling humanitarian aid to refugees in 2024.
The three leaders also expressed concern about the increase in irregular migration to Europe, “which entails loss of human life, suffering and all types of abuse,” the joint statement said.
For this reason, they committed to strengthening their cooperation to dismantle human smuggling and trafficking networks and to combat irregular migration, “at the same time guaranteeing the protection and respect of the fundamental rights of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees.” Within this framework, Spain and Mauritania are already working on circular migration programs, where pilot projects will be developed. Furthermore, the three leaders stressed the importance of assisting Mauritanian security forces in their fight against migrant smuggling.
The President of the Commission committed to strengthening this cooperation within the framework of a partnership on migration matters between the EU and Mauritania and recalled that the EU intends to strengthen its financial support and call on the experience of the European agency FRONTEX to help Mauritania to address challenges in the areas of migration management, forced displacement, as well as security and development.
Green hydrogen
During the meeting, the importance of intensifying exchanges in areas of common interest was also highlighted, especially in the field of renewable energies, “at a time when the world is moving towards a decarbonized economy, with the perspective of ecologically clean solutions.”
In this sense, the three leaders welcomed the ‘Team Europe’ Initiative, signed last October in Brussels, which should lay the foundations for fruitful cooperation in the field of green hydrogen between the EU and Mauritania. Along these lines, a mission of European companies will visit Mauritania during the month of March to explore investment opportunities, which will join the exchanges that took place within the framework of the round table on green hydrogen held on February 8 in Nouakchott.
During the meeting, the support of the EU, the European Investment Bank and Spain for the digital infrastructure, health, fishing and agriculture sectors in Mauritania was applauded and Sánchez assured that his Government is in a position to explore the possibilities with multilateral institutions. joint financing for new development projects in the African country. Furthermore, Spain undertakes to facilitate financing for companies that wish to invest in Mauritania.
