Mauritanian-Moroccan economic parliamentary forum opens in Nouakchott

The inaugural session of the Mauritanian-Moroccan Economic Parliamentary Forum opened on Friday in Nouakchott, under the joint presidency of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rachid Talbi Alami, and the President of the Mauritanian National Assembly, Mohamed Bamba Meguett.

The opening session was attended by Mauritanian and Moroccan parliamentarians, as well as several high-ranking officials, including Morocco’s Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development, and Water and Forests, Ahmed El Bouari; Secretary of State for Foreign Trade, Omar Hejira; Mauritania’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty, Memma Beibatta; Minister Delegate in charge of the Budget, Codioro Moussa N'Guenore; Minister of Culture and Communication and government spokesperson, El Houssein Ould Meddou; and Minister of Fisheries and Maritime Infrastructure, El Fadhil Ould Sidaty.

The forum also brings together representatives from key productive sectors, private sector stakeholders, experts, and civil society actors from both countries. The idea to establish the forum was agreed upon in July 2022 by the legislative bodies of Morocco and Mauritania, creating a new institutional framework for bilateral cooperation.

The forum seeks to serve as a platform for dialogue and collaboration between parliamentarians, government officials, and economic actors from both countries. Its objectives include supporting sustainable development, fostering regional integration, and reinforcing parliamentary relations to ensure effective legislative backing for joint projects.

Discussions will focus on priority areas to strengthen bilateral cooperation, such as food security and agricultural development, maritime fishing and sustainable marine resource management, vocational training aligned with labor market needs, improvement of livestock breeds, animal health, and the commercialization of products through enhanced production infrastructure.

The forum, which will alternate sessions between Nouakchott and Rabat, reflects the longstanding political, economic, and cultural ties between Morocco and Mauritania.