Mauritania and Morocco are the gateway to Africa for Spain and Europe. This issue is of great importance and cooperation and collaboration between the neighbouring countries is essential for economic and commercial development. Atalayar was able to discuss these issues with Abdoulaye Mamadou Ba, president of the Nouadhibou Free Zone Authority in Mauritania, on the occasion of the Africa-Spain Cooperation Summit held in Madrid.
What are your impressions and thoughts on the Africa-Spain Cooperation Summit? Are you satisfied with the objectives of the meeting?
We went to Madrid to participate in the Spain-Africa Summit in the framework of the One Africa Forums organisation. We would like to thank all the partners who invited us to this important meeting, which allowed us to meet many African and Spanish participants. This is an important initiative for Mauritania and, as you know, Mauritania and Spain have very close relations. Because Spain is next door, we are Spain’s gateway to Africa, Mauritania and Morocco are Spain’s gateway to Africa. We are an hour’s flight from Las Palmas. So we were able to participate positively in this important meeting to promote this exemplary cooperation, and also to show what prospects are possible between Spanish operators and Mauritanian operators, and also what forms of cooperation are possible between African partners so that together we can boost Africa and get out of its difficulties.
I was accompanied to this summit by a large delegation comprising my Director of Cabinet, the Deputy Director General of the Port of Nouadhibou and the Director General of Development and Infrastructures of the Free Trade Zone. This is because we really want to take advantage of the Spanish experience and try to see how we can develop relations between the port of Nouadhibou and the port of Las Palmas and the other Spanish ports; as you know, the port of Nouadhibou is twinned with the port of Las Palmas. At one time, Mauritanian operators unloaded most of their products in Spain, before the port acquired a certain importance and was able to meet the needs of our national operators.
So we are very honoured, very happy to have been invited to participate in this meeting, in this important summit. Spain’s importance in relations with Mauritania is reflected in the fact that the President of the Republic himself has visited Spain on two occasions in recent years. The last time was in Madrid. Together with the Spanish government, he saw the importance of the relations that need to be developed, especially with a view to Mauritania’s development in the fisheries sector, in the green energy sector, and also in the sector of multiple exchanges, especially between Mauritanian and Spanish companies.
PHOTO/ATALAYAR/GUILLERMO LÓPEZ – Africa-Spain Cooperation Summit
Do you think that this summit will lead to more projects and more cooperation between Spanish and European businessmen?
It is important because, first of all, we have bilateral cooperation agreements with Spain and, as I said before, we have many joint ventures between Spanish and Mauritanian companies. We have a lot of exchanges in the fisheries sector. I was the director of the SMCP. I know how it is, so it is our main fishing partner. Having said that, Spain can support Mauritania in the development of this important sector, but I also discussed this with the economic advisor of the Canarian government at a B-To-B meeting on the possible cooperation between the countries of the sub-region with a view to the exploitation of Mauritanian gas, oil and gas, which will soon be launched between Mauritania and Senegal. And to see to what extent all the countries of the sub-region are going to be safe from an environmental point of view, because we have to take precautions, we are thinking of taking advantage of Spanish experience in this area, and a visit by Spanish experts to the Nouadhibou Free Zone is planned for September. This will be an opportunity to discuss with them what we can do and, above all, to find the means to train the technicians and people involved in the fight against major pollution, because it can happen, and we need to develop these possibilities so that we also have sufficient equipment that can be used jointly by Mauritania and Morocco.
We do not want disasters on the radar, but they can happen and it is better that they do not happen, because we have only just started in this very important and sensitive sector. And, as we all want to preserve the marine environment and the environment as a whole, it is important that action is taken in this area, and we have started discussions with the Mauritanian Government to see how we can achieve this, and also so that the Spanish Government and those involved in the anti-pollution sector in Las Palmas can step in to help us.
There are very important issues in the panels at the summit, communication, real information, without clichés and stereotypes. Do you think the media have made concessions to provide good information about Africa?
Absolutely. It is important. Communication is essential in today’s world because it has developed so much and also to improve our relations, we need to communicate, to explain in which sector we can really progress, and also to avoid clichés, because, when we talk about Africa, people only see conflicts, they only see famine, they only see problems or wars or problems or immigration. But Africa has enormous resources and opportunities that are yet to be exploited.
Former Prime Minister Lionel Zinsou spoke a lot about this during the debates. The other speakers, the Ivorian minister, the officials who participated, Senegal and others. Each of them explained the assets that Africa has, its youth and the youth of its population. You saw what the minister said about the population. 70% of the African population is under 35, and Africa’s natural resources and the importance of the African market, which is becoming more and more important as Europe ages, means that Africa, with its youth, its resources and its skills, is going to break the world, especially the West, out of its shackles. Truly, there is a healthy partnership between us, a partnership based on respect, based on mutual interests, a win-win partnership, not on exploitation.
We seek to work with you as equals, with mutual respect and independence, so that each of us gains what we can gain so that Africa benefits, but also so that our Spanish partners and our European partners in general, within the framework of the agreements with the European Union that we have, can really take advantage of all the assets and the opportunities that we have within our reach, taking advantage of your experience, your technology, your advanced resources, but also our dynamism, our youth, our resources and all the opportunities that Africa offers us. As I said before, gas will soon be exploited in Mauritania, and this is an important new resource. And in the field of green energy, we have important assets. As I said, cooperation between our ports is something that can really help us to move forward and to overcome our difficulties.
PHOTO/ATALAYAR/GUILLERMO LÓPEZ – Abdoulaye Mamadou Ba
Last year, here in Madrid, Mauritania was the guest country at the NATO Summit. So Mauritania’s role on the continent is important, and I think many people recognise Mauritania’s role and importance.
Yes, Mauritania is a country with traditional fishing resources, but also iron ore. The gold mines are increasingly exploited, but we have this natural resource which has just been discovered and which is going to be exploited in the framework of a wonderful cooperation and a perfect agreement between the Mauritanian Government and the Senegalese Government, but also so that all our partners can benefit. We are well aware that the war in Ukraine has also had consequences for the supply and security of gas in Europe. But we are on the sidelines. I told you earlier that Mauritania is Spain’s gateway to Africa, as is Morocco.
This cooperation is good, it is fruitful, but I would like to insist once again that we have many assets that we have not yet exploited, we have many horizons and possibilities that we have to open up. We do not only have to limit ourselves to certain traditional sectors such as fishing, we have to move towards green energies, towards other forms of exploitation, towards other forms of cooperation and also towards partnerships between Mauritanian private partners and Spanish private partners, not only between governments. We need to develop these relationships so that everyone can win and succeed in their mission. And in an atmosphere of understanding, mutual respect and independence of each party, but also in a way that benefits both the Spanish people and the Mauritanian people.
Read more
Source link : https://www.atalayar.com/en/articulo/economy-and-business/mauritania-is-spains-gateway-to-africa-is-morocco-and-cooperation-is-essential/20230721140008188596.amp.html
Author :
Publish date : 2023-08-07 07:00:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.