The high-level meeting, held under the directives of Presidents Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani and Adama Barrow, marked a new chapter in bilateral relations, with both sides committing to expanded partnerships across diplomacy, trade, security, education, and environmental protection.
The session was jointly chaired by Mauritania’s Prime Minister El Moctar Ould Djay and Gambian Vice President Muhammed B.S. Jallow, leading their respective delegations in a spirit of brotherhood and cooperation.
In his opening remarks, Prime Minister Ould Djay welcomed the Gambian delegation and highlighted the historic ties between the two nations, calling attention to the mutual alignment of both presidents and the momentum created by President Barrow’s state visit to Mauritania in January 2024. He expressed optimism that the talks would result in meaningful progress and deeper integration between the two west African states.
Vice President Muhammed B.S Jallow, in turn, extended heartfelt gratitude to the Mauritanian leadership for the warm hospitality. He praised President Ghazouani as a “messenger of peace” and commended the country’s achievements in governance and development. On the sidelines of the meeting, Vice President Jallow was granted an audience with President Ghazouani, where he delivered a personal message of friendship from President Barrow.
A major milestone was the agreement to enhance diplomatic capacity-building. The Gambia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs will dispatch a delegation to the Mauritanian Diplomatic Academy to share expertise and explore joint training initiatives.
The two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on trade, aimed at boosting cross-border commerce and economic collaboration.
The Mauritanian Cultural Complex in The Gambia was recognised as a vital link between the two nations. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to supporting its long-term sustainability and signed the MoU to promote linguistic and cultural cooperation.
Under the Abidjan Convention, Mauritania and The Gambia agreed to collaborate on marine and coastal resource conservation. This includes information sharing on fragile habitats, addressing climate-related challenges, and harmonising national action plans for wetland and coastal zone preservation.
A Defense Cooperation Agreement was formalised, with plans to negotiate a security framework for intelligence sharing, joint operations, and regional stability. The countries also discussed agreements on the movement and settlement of citizens and committed to formalising these arrangements in due course.
Both sides also pledged to bolster health sector ties through epidemic surveillance, reciprocal technical missions, and training of health personnel.
Mauritania’s Ministry of Public Service and Labor and The Gambia’s Ministry of Public Services agreed to deepen cooperation in civil service management, focusing on institutional knowledge exchange and capacity development.
The parties resolved to revise the 2012 Cultural Agreement, updating it to reflect new realities and shared aspirations in the fields of arts, heritage, and intercultural exchange.
The session concluded with optimism and a shared resolve to implement all recommendations adopted during the two-day meeting. Officials on both sides lauded the constructive atmosphere and reiterated their commitment to the vision laid out by their respective heads of state one of regional peace, prosperity, and people-centered development.
