Spain and Mauritania stress the importance of reaching a satisfactory fisheries agreement with the European Union

The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, has finalised his two-day working visit to Mauritania on 8 and 9 March, following an invitation from his counterpart, Nani Ould Chrouga, Minister for Fisheries and Maritime Economy of the Republic of Mauritania. He was accompanied by the Secretary-General for Fisheries, Alicia Villauriz.

During his stay, Luis Planas held meetings with the President of the Republic, Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ghazouani, and with the Prime Minister, Ismail Ould Bode Ould Cheikh Sidiya.

Minister Planas also chaired a working meeting with the members of the delegations from the two countries, together with the Minister for Fisheries and Maritime Economy of the Republic of Mauritania, in which they revised the state of bilateral cooperation between Mauritania and Spain. At this meeting, the two ministers declared their interest in developing the following issues to the mutual benefit of the two countries:

• Training and qualifications in the maritime and fisheries sector
• Strengthening Spain's position on fisheries and addressing the concerns of the Spanish fisheries industry that fishes in Mauritanian waters

The ministers pointed to the importance for both countries of the current negotiations on the fisheries agreement between Mauritania and the European Union. They expressed their interest in reaching a satisfactory agreement for both parties as soon as possible.

Within the framework of the working visit, Luis Planas visited, together with his Mauritanian counterpart, the National Fish Distribution Company and the Qualifications and Training Centre for Fishing Trades of the Naval Academy, to see these institutions first-hand.

Non official translation