In the Presence of Mr. Bouari: Launch of the First Mauritanian-Moroccan Parliamentary Economic Forum
The inaugural session of the Mauritanian-Moroccan Parliamentary Economic Forum kicked off on the morning of Friday, May 9, in Nouakchott, under the joint chairmanship of Mr. Rachid Talbi Alami, Speaker of the Moroccan House of Representatives, and Mr. Mohamed Bamba Ould Meguett, President of the Mauritanian National Assembly.
In addition to several Mauritanian and Moroccan parliamentarians, the opening session was attended by Mr. Ahmed Bouari, Moroccan Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development, and Water and Forests; Mr. Omar Hijra, Secretary of State in charge of Foreign Trade; Mr. Amadou Bâ Bipat, Mauritanian Minister of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty; Mr. Kadiouro Moussa N’Guenour, Mauritanian Minister Delegate for the Budget; Mr. El Houssein Ould Medou, Minister of Culture and Communication and Government Spokesman of Mauritania; and Mr. Alfadhil Ould Sidati, Minister of Fisheries and Marine Infrastructure.
The forum also brought together officials from key productive sectors in both countries, along with private sector actors, experts, and representatives of civil society.
It is worth noting that the two legislative institutions agreed in July 2022 to establish the Mauritanian-Moroccan Parliamentary Economic Forum as a new institutional framework for cooperation.
The forum aspires to serve as a platform for dialogue and collaboration between parliamentarians, governments, and economic actors from both Morocco and Mauritania. Its goals include supporting sustainable development, strengthening regional integration, and enhancing parliamentary relations to ensure effective legislative support for bilateral projects. It also aims to encourage investment and economic exchange, particularly in strategic sectors, and to foster the sharing of expertise and successful experiences between the two countries.
Furthermore, the forum seeks to promote triangular cooperation by involving African and international actors to broaden development opportunities and build effective bilateral partnerships through a three-dimensional approach involving the legislative and executive branches, alongside the private sector. A follow-up and evaluation mechanism will be established to ensure the implementation of the forum’s recommendations and agreements.
Participants will discuss a number of priority issues aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation, including food security, agricultural cooperation, fisheries and the sustainable management of marine resources, vocational training and the alignment of skills with labor market needs, livestock improvement, animal health, and marketing within the framework of productive infrastructure development.
The establishment of the forum, which will alternate its sessions between Nouakchott and Rabat, reflects the historic and strategic relationship between Morocco and Mauritania, grounded in strong political, economic, and cultural ties.
It is also a testament to the growing and robust rapprochement between the Kingdom of Morocco and Africa, which reflects the visionary leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, who has made South-South cooperation a cornerstone of Morocco’s diplomacy. This approach has been embodied in pioneering initiatives, foremost among them the Atlantic African States Process, proposed by His Majesty as an ambitious and structured framework for continental integration. It is complemented by the initiative to enable Sahel countries to access the Atlantic Ocean—a move that demonstrates His Majesty’s unwavering commitment to building a united, interconnected, and prosperous Africa based on solidarity and shared development.
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