Mauritania presents itself as a "gateway to Africa" ​​to Spanish investors

 

Ould Merzoug co-chaired the event, organized by the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, the Secretary of State for Trade (through ICEX Spain Export and Investment) and CEOE, together with the Secretary of State for Trade, Amparo López Senovilla.

 

Geostrategic Position and Investment Facilitation

 

The Mauritanian minister underlined the geostrategic position of his nation. "Mauritania is the gateway to Africa“Just as Spain is said to be the gateway to Europe,” he noted. He also emphasized the government’s efforts to forge a partnership with Spain characterized by “steadiness, trust, and balance,” and its willingness to "Listen and collaborate to remove obstacles".

 

To facilitate the participation of the private sector, Ould Merzoug highlighted the existence of tools such as a investment promotion agency and a digitalized one-stop shop.

 

Qualitative Leap in Economic Relations

 

For her part, the Secretary of State for Trade, Amparo López Senovilla, stated that "Spain and Mauritania have taken a qualitative leap in their economic relationship, based on mutual trust and a solid institutional framework."He stressed the importance of the commercial relationship, indicating that Spain is Mauritania's largest customer and its third largest supplier within the European Union..

 

López Senovilla recalled that Mauritania's participation in the Africa Advances Alliance (within the Spain-Africa Strategy 2025-2028) is essential to strengthen cooperation and boost Spanish investment in strategic sectors such as: Agribusiness, Fishing, Infrastructure, Renewable Energy, Telecommunications and Tourism.

 

Public-Private Collaboration and a Promising Future

 

Jaime Montalvo, International Director of the Chamber of Spain, and Marta White, president of the CEOE International Relations Commission, agreed to highlight the growing interest from the private sector and public sector collaboration to boost trade.

 

Montalvo stated that the bilateral relationship has a "great present and a promising future," referring to the First High-Level Meeting Mauritania-Spain held in Nouakchott last July.

 

Blanco, from CEOE, highlighted the strengthening of bilateral relations since 2022 and thanked the processes of reforms carried out by Mauritania and the financial instruments of Spain's internationalization. He also mentioned the presence of the president of the Union Nationale du Patronat Mauritanien (UNPM) at the II Ibero-African Business Forum in Tenerife, to be held on November 26.

 

The meeting was attended by more than twenty companies, as well as the co-chairs of the Spain-Mauritania Bilateral Business Committee, Ana Suárez and Mohamed Waled.