Morocco-Mauritania relations bode well for a promising future

Morocco-Mauritania relations bode well for a promising future

Moroccan-Mauritanian relations are poised for unprecedented advancement across various sectors, following the recent meeting in Casablanca between King Mohammed VI and the Mauritanian Head of State, according to a Mauritanian NGO.

“President Mohamed Ould El-Ghazouani’s visit to Morocco will inject new momentum into bilateral cooperation,” said Cheikhani Ould Cheikh, president of the Mauritanian-Moroccan Association for Maghreb Defense in an interview with the Moroccan news outlet Le360, during his recent three-day visit to Morocco.

He emphasized that this meeting marks a decisive step in strengthening the strategic partnership between the two neighboring nations.

The association president highlighted the human aspect of this meeting, noting that King Mohammed VI, despite being in convalescence, made it a priority to receive his Mauritanian guest. “We were moved by this meeting, especially since the King, even during his recovery period, received his Mauritanian guest. We were delighted to see him in very good health,” the association president remarked.

According to Ould Cheikh, this meeting between the two countries’ leaders opens unprecedented opportunities for cooperation in key sectors including trade, education, culture, and infrastructure.

He also expressed his desire to strengthen collaborations with Moroccan NGOs to promote joint initiatives benefiting both peoples.

The deep historical and cultural ties between the two nations are evidenced by numerous documents preserved in Mauritania’s Ksar of Moulay Abdellah in Tidjikja, a site established in 1660. These include a letter from Sultan Moulay Ismail and works presented to religious scholar Sidi Abdellah Ould Hadj Brahim Alaoui during his visit to Morocco under Sultan Sidi Mohammed I’s reign.

Ould Cheikh emphasized the significance of the Tijani religious current in these relations, noting that “the Salafist current of Tijania, adopted by many Mauritanian communities, received particular attention from Sultan Moulay Souleimane, demonstrating the depth of religious and intellectual exchanges between our peoples.”

He also highlighted the crucial role of land routes connecting Morocco and Mauritania in fostering population connections and developing trade relations over centuries.

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