Algeria, Mauritania ink bilateral defence cooperation deal

Algeria and Mauritania yesterday discussed security developments in Africa and signed a defence cooperation agreement, Anadolu reported.

This came during a visit by Mauritanian Defence Minister Hanena Ould Sidi Ould Hane to Algeria, according to a statement from the Algerian Ministry of Defence.

The statement said Algerian Defence Minister Said Chengriha met with his Mauritanian counterpart to discuss “security developments in North Africa and the African continent.” The two parties exchanged views on various issues of mutual interest and explored ways to strengthen their bilateral military cooperation.

At the end of the meeting, a defence cooperation agreement was signed, its contents were not revealed.

The statement quoted Chengriha as saying that Algeria and Mauritania “share the same ambitions and common challenges, making their bilateral relationship a model to follow in terms of cooperation and complementarity between Arab and African countries.”

He added that “the security, economic and geopolitical challenges facing our region require today, more than ever, a strengthening of common action.”

For his part, the Mauritanian defence minister praised “the depth of the ties of brotherhood and good neighbourliness between the two brotherly peoples, as well as the leading role of Algeria in consolidating security in the region.”

Cooperation between Algeria and Mauritania has significantly intensified over the past five years, driven by regular exchanges between Presidents Abdelmadjid Tebboune and Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, which have led to structural projects, such as the construction of a road linking the two countries, the development of a border post and the creation of a free trade zone.

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