Rabat – Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz has decided to appoint a Mauritania’s new ambassador to Morocco, according to Mauritanian media.
This decision follows the official visit of Morocco’s appointed head of government, Abdelilah Benkirane, to Mauritania on Wednesday as well as King Mohammed’s phone call with Abdel Aziz following the controversial statement made by Istiqlal Party (IP) Secretary General Hamid Chabat, who said that “Mauritania lays on Moroccan soil and it is a land that is purely Moroccan.”
The same Mauritanian sources reported that Morocco expressed its desire to revamp ties with Mauritania and restore normal relations with it.
“The visit of Delegate Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita has been extended to deepen [diplomatic] discussions with Mauritanian officials on bilateral projects and to embark on procedures that could possibly be implemented,” states the source.
Mauritanian media added that among the points that Bourita will be discussing with Mauritanian officials is the implementation of royal orders to dispel any [future] misunderstandings or actions that might affect relations between Rabat and Nouakchott.
During a press conference held Wednesday morning after his meeting with the Mauritanian President, Benkirane stated that “the future ties between the two countries will be further strengthened in order for Mauritanian citizens to feel that they enjoy all their rights in Morocco, with the same being true for Moroccans in Mauritania.”
Mauritania’s embassy to Rabat was abandoned after the retirement of former Ambassador to Morocco Mohamed Ould Muawiya in 2012. Ever since, Mauritania’s president did not appoint any ambassador to Morocco.
