Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană met with Defence Minister Hanana Ould Sidi of Mauritania at NATO Headquarters on Tuesday (28 May 2024), to take stock of developments in NATO-Mauritanian relations. Deputy Secretary General Geoană highlighted that "Mauritania is a valued partner" and that Allies are "determined to step up our partnership further, including to strengthen Mauritania's forces in the fight against terrorism."
Mauritania is a long-standing NATO partner, having joined the Alliance's Mediterranean Dialogue partnership forum in 1995. Since then, NATO-Mauritania partnership has grown significantly, with progress made in several areas, including special operations forces, maritime security intelligence, military career transition programmes, stockpile management regarding small arms and light weapons, and military education.
Deputy Secretary General Geoană also reaffirmed the importance of NATO's southern neighbourhood. A group of independent experts appointed by Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to support NATO's reflection on its southern neighbourhood recently published its final report and key findings. The aim is for Allies to agree a set of measures to strengthen the Alliance's approach to its southern neighbourhood in time for the NATO Summit in Washington in July.
The Mediterranean Dialogue (MD) is a partnership forum that aims to contribute to security and stability in the wider Mediterranean region, and promote good relations and understanding among participating countries and NATO Allies. Current members include Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia.
