São Paulo – Brazil and Mauritania created a joint committee for cooperation on Thursday (16) during a visit by Brazil’s Foreign, Antonio Patriota, to Nouakchott, the capital of the Arab country. During the minister’s visit, agreements were also signed in the area of diplomatic visas, rural education and fishery and aquiculture, the latter orchestrated by the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC), according to figures disclosed by the Itamaraty. Mauritania is the last nation to be visited by Patriota in a three-day tour of the African nations, which also included Ethiopia and Tunisia.
The Brazilian minister was met by the president of Mauritania, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, according to Qatar News Agency, and also by the minister of Foreign Business and Cooperation, Hamadi Ould Babe Ould Hamadi, according to the Mauritanian Information Agency (AMI). In his meeting with Patriota, Hamadi pointed out that this was the first visit by a head of Brazilian diplomatic corps to his country. He pointed out that he is aware of the economic and political reputation of Brazil in the global scenery and wants to strengthen ties with the country. Patriota, in turn, said that the visit will help open new horizons for cooperation between both nations.
The mixed committee, in which the agreement was established, will have as its target the strengthening cooperation between both countries in the economic, commercial, financial, scientific, technological, technical and cultural areas. According to information disclosed by the Itamaraty, the group should meet every three years or according to a common schedule agreed by both sides, alternating between Nouakchott and Brasília.
The ABC projects should be the start of this cooperation. One of them is for support to development of rural education in Mauritania, with the objective of developing professional capacities in the interior of the Arab country. The other is turned to the fishery and aquiculture chain and focuses on improvement of the capacity of technicians and of professionals of institutional sectors in Mauritania in the management of the sustainable sector.
Also signed were agreements for the elimination of diplomatic visas and work permits and work permits for citizens of one country in the other. The document signed says that holders of diplomatic, official and service passports will not require visas to enter, travel and remain in the other country for ninety days. The agreement regarding work forecasts that dependents may work for wages in the country, including spouses, single children below 21 years of age, single children below 25 years of age who are studying or single children with physical or mental disabilities.
*Translated by Mark Ament
