According to a statement by the Algerian presidency: “At the invitation of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, the President of the Mauritanian Republic, Mohamed Ould Cheikh El-Ghazwany, will embark on a state visit to Algeria, lasting 3 days, starting from December 27 to 29.”
The statement added: “The visit comes within the framework of strengthening bilateral relations and enhancing cooperation to serve the two brotherly countries.”
Al-Ghazwani’s visit to Algeria is the first of its kind for a Mauritanian president in 10 years, after that made by former President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz in December 2011, and it comes as the culmination of mutual visits between officials of the two countries.
big delegation
Al-Ghazwani is heading a large delegation, especially those responsible for the economy, as the visit is expected to witness the signing of many agreements that enhance partnership between the two countries, especially those related to the economic aspect.
Ghazouani is accompanied by a delegation of businessmen headed by Mohamed Zine El Abidine Ould Cheikh Ahmed, president of the National Union of Mauritanian Employers.
According to the Mauritanian news agency, “During the visit, Ghazouani will hold talks with his Algerian counterpart on strengthening relations between the two countries, and the ministers accompanying him will hold talks with their Algerian counterparts on areas of cooperation.”
Gateway to West Africa
Since 2019, Algeria has seen its southern neighbor, Mauritania, as a strategic gateway to West Africa, and has worked to strengthen its economic and even security cooperation within the framework of its plans to raise the bill for imports outside of hydrocarbons to about $ 5 billion by the end of this year.
According to the Algerian News Agency, relations between the two countries await a “critical step” after the completion of the 900-kilometre strategic road between Algeria’s Tindouf and Mauritania’s Zouerate, which the two countries are counting on completely changing the features of the region and ending its isolation, as well as activating trade and economic exchanges between them.
Through the strategic road, Algeria is counting on access to West African markets, especially through the “Dakar Corridor”, while it is expected to connect Mauritania with two Maghreb countries, namely Tunisia and Libya.
And Algerian exports to Mauritania recorded a remarkable increase in 2020, reaching 100 percent compared to 2019, and Algeria became the main exporter of Nouakchott by 20 percent of African countries, and reached about $9 million amid expectations that it would rise to $53 million by the end of this year.
common challenges
Last April, the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a bilateral border committee between the two countries entrusted with security tasks to control the borders, and economic tasks to activate trade exchanges between the two neighboring countries.
At the time, the Algerian Minister of Interior, Local Authorities and Urban Development, Kamel Beljoud, said that the challenges between the two countries are common, especially in development and security.
He stressed the need to develop the border areas and turn them into an “economic and social pole par excellence, according to a joint plan in which the goals are written and translated into real development projects.”
For his part, Mauritanian Minister of Interior and Decentralization Mohamed Salem Ould Marzouk stressed that the memorandum of understanding signed with Algeria “represents an addition to the joint cooperation between the two countries, especially with regard to civil security and crisis management,” expecting in the context that relations will witness “a qualitative leap that will enable the enhancement of investment opportunities.” and establishing partnership projects in priority sectors.
5 featured files
The academic specializing in international affairs, Samir Kashef, said that the visit comes about a week after Taboun’s visit to the eastern neighbor Tunisia, which confirms Algeria’s desire to enhance its Maghreb and African depth.
In statements to “Sky News Arabia”, Al-Kashef added that there are 5 main files on the visit’s agenda, which are “strengthening bilateral relations”, “the future of the Maghreb Union”, “the Libyan crisis”, “the situation in Mali” and the “Arab summit” scheduled in Algeria. The end of next March, in addition to many regional and international files.
He explained that the two presidents will discuss strengthening cooperation between the two countries, and many agreements will be signed and security cooperation will be strengthened, as the two countries are linked by large land borders of 460 km, especially in light of the movement in the region, especially in the common neighbor “Mali”.
He pointed out that protecting the two countries’ borders from terrorist organizations and combating terrorism in the Sahel region will top the first summit of the two presidents in light of the security and political tensions in Bamako.
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