Egypt, Mauritania sign 13 agreements to boost cooperation

By Mhamed Bakaye and Mohammad Sio

NOUAKCHOTT, Mauritania/ISTANBUL (AA) - Egypt and Mauritania signed 13 agreements Tuesday to strengthen cooperation across multiple sectors, concluding a high-level joint committee meeting.

Mauritanian Foreign Minister Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug and his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty formalized the pacts in the capital Nouakchott, according to a joint statement.

The deals include cooperation in marine fisheries and aquaculture, a 2025-2028 youth cooperation program, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on labor affairs, a protocol on civil protection and document security, and an MoU on Islamic affairs and endowments for 2025-2027.

Additional agreements cover cooperation in media, investment relations, higher education and water and irrigation.

Both ministers expressed their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties. Ould Merzoug emphasized the significance of the discussions and the importance of implementing the signed agreements.

Abdelatty noted that the talks reflected the depth of Egypt-Mauritania relations and touched on issues like education, energy, infrastructure, fisheries and livestock.

The two sides also addressed broader regional conflicts, especially in the Arab world and Africa, calling for appropriate solutions.

Abdelatty also met with Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, stressing the need to restore the ceasefire in Gaza and ensure full humanitarian access.

The Israeli army, rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, has pursued a brutal offensive against Gaza since October 2023, killing more than 54,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children.

Abdelatty reiterated Egypt’s rejection of any forced displacement of Palestinians. He also reaffirmed Egypt’s support for the Arab-Islamic plan for Gaza’s reconstruction which was adopted in March by the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The plan aims to rebuild Gaza over five years with a $53 billion budget, without displacing its population.

Israel and the US, however, have rejected the plan, instead backing a proposal by US President Donald Trump to resettle Palestinians in neighboring countries like Egypt and Jordan—an idea that both countries have firmly opposed along with other Arab and international actors.

Abdelatty began his visit to Mauritania on Monday. The duration of the visit was not disclosed.