Rabat- Morocco and Mauritania have renewed determination to boost bilateral relations and cooperation. On Sunday, September 19, Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita held a phone call with his Mauritanian counterpart Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed to review bilateral ties between the two North African neighbors. During the call, the two officials expressed “great” satisfaction with the level of relations and cooperation between the two countries. Both countries discussed the importance of intensifying permanent contacts and consultations to serve the common interests of Morocco and Mauritania. Mauritania and Morocco have repeatedly expressed determination to boost ties at different levels, including trade and diplomatic cooperation. In July, both countries expressed their commitment to each other, when the Moroccan FM received Chairman of the Bureau of the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Mauritanian National Assembly, Mohamed El Mostapha Mohamed Lemine Zidane. Zeidane led a delegation on an official visit to Morocco, with emphasis on improving relations between the two countries' legislative institutions. Both countries are engaged in the UN-led political process to end the conflict over Western Sahara.
The two countries have previously worked together to solve the dispute over Western Sahara after Spain and Algeria colluded against Morocco’s territorial integrity and sovereignty over the region. The two countries also enjoy fruitful cooperation in terms of trade. Statistics from the Observatory of Economic Complexity show that Morocco’s exports in 2019 to Mauritania were estimated at MAD 1.8 billion ($205 million). The main products Morocco exports to Mauritania include processed fish and paper containers. Mauritania exported MAD 32 million ($3.64 million) to Morocco. Mauritania’s main exports to Morocco include non-fillet fresh fish, mollusks, and non-fillet frozen fish, the Observatory of Economic Complexity said. Morocco and Mauritania have both acknowledged a need for improving trade ties between the two countries. The two countries' leaders constantly expressed determination to ensure cooperation between Morocco and Mauritania to progress. In November 2020, King Mohammed VI invited Mauritania’s President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani to Rabat. The monarch also expressed interest in a visit to Mauritania’s capital of Nouakchott. King Mohammed VI’s last visit to Mauritania was in 2001.