Minister Tekin held a bilateral meeting with Mauritania's Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Yacoub Ould Moine, prior to the session. Afterwards, the two ministers inaugurated the opening of the 1st session of the Türkiye-Mauritania Joint Economic Commission Meeting, held at the Mauritanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

 

Minister Tekin, in his speech here, expressed his satisfaction with being in Mauritania and being assigned to develop Türkiye-Mauritania relations, continuing as follows: "From Türkiye's perspective, Mauritania is a country we deeply respect, wish to strengthen our relations with, and value highly. To illustrate the strength of this relationship, let me give two examples from recent years. One of the first countries to support Türkiye immediately after the 2016 coup attempt was Mauritania. Similarly, Mauritania was among the first countries to extend condolences to our nation following the earthquakes on February 6, 2023. Therefore, we regard Mauritania as a friend and brother country in both good and difficult times, and we aim to further develop our relations accordingly."

 

Minister Tekin emphasized that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani have taken significant initiatives to enhance bilateral relations. He stated that they are working to transform these opportunities into relations that will yield tangible results. Tekin said, "There are many areas where we can develop our cooperation. From fisheries to agriculture and livestock, and from transportation and logistics to education and higher education, we have the potential to deepen cooperation across various fields. It is our responsibility to elevate these relations to a higher level, guided by the Presidents and the political will of both countries, in a way that strengthens the bonds of brotherhood between the peoples and nations of our two countries."

 

Minister Tekin stated that, as a result of the discussions, a series of decisions were taken to serve this purpose and thanked all those who contributed.

 

Later, Minister Tekin and Mauritanian Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Yacoub Ould Moine signed the decisions taken and the agreed-upon headings during the 1st session of the Türkiye-Mauritania Joint Economic Commission Meeting. Afterwards, the two ministers also signed the cooperation protocol in the field of vocational and technical education.

 

Minister Tekin made a statement regarding the cooperation, saying, "I hope that the texts we have signed will be beneficial for the two brotherly nations and the two brotherly states."

 

Minister Tekin continued, "Today, here, we have taken an important step in a long process of preparation aimed at elevating the relations between our two countries to the level desired by the esteemed Presidents, societies, and peoples of both nations. For quite some time, our relevant technical teams have been carrying out the necessary groundwork. We are here today to demonstrate our President's determination, desire, and commitment on this matter, and to offer opportunities to further enhance our relations with Mauritania, our brotherly state."

 

Minister Tekin said, "Today, we signed texts containing provisions through which we wish to elevate our cooperation to higher levels economically, commercially, and culturally." He noted that these texts also include mutual commitments to increase the trade volume between the two countries.

 

Tekin said that they came to Mauritania with a large delegation, including all relevant bureaucrats, especially Rukiye Genç Toy, Member of Parliament for Sivas and Chairperson of the Türkiye-Mauritania Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group.

 

After returning to Türkiye, Tekin stated that they will take the necessary steps required by the signed texts and concluded his speech as follows: "I would like to thank my dear friend Yacoub Ould Moine, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Mauritania, and all our friends for their hospitality throughout this process. I also wish to convey the greetings and respects of the President of the Republic of Türkiye, His Excellency Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, to you, the brotherly Muslim people of the Republic of Türkiye. Inshallah, we will soon reap the fruits of the steps we have taken."