Mauritania and Egypt forge forward-looking alliance

After nearly two decades of dormancy, Egypt and Mauritania have reactivated on May 27 their bilateral cooperation mechanism through the revival of the Joint Committee, signaling a strategic commitment to developmental diplomacy and South-South collaboration.

The second session of the Committee, held in Nouakchott, underscored a shared ambition to recalibrate bilateral ties in line with contemporary regional challenges and mutual economic aspirations.

The renewed engagement echoes a broader African trend of leveraging regional partnerships for sustainable growth.

The meeting served not merely as a diplomatic formality but as a platform for substantive collaboration, culminating in the signing of 13 wide-ranging agreements and memoranda of understanding. These accords span critical sectors including investment, labor, higher education, social development, fisheries, and water management—areas pivotal to both nations’ socio-economic priorities. Notably, the continuation of the Nouakchott tramway project and the cultural exchange involving the Ould Etlamid Library reflect an intentional blend of infrastructure development and cultural diplomacy. These initiatives are expected to catalyze job creation, technological exchange, and institutional capacity-building.

Moreover, the joint committee laid out a forward-looking blueprint for deepened engagement, with annual committee meetings to be held alternately in Cairo and Nouakchott. In addition to bilateral matters, the partners jointly addressed broader geopolitical concerns, from the humanitarian crisis in Gaza to instability in Libya, Sudan, and the Sahel.