Russian, Mauritanian Foreign Ministers to discuss Middle East and economic ties

MOSCOW, November 7. /TASS/. Foreign Minister of Russia and Mauritania Sergey Lavrov and Isselkou Ould Ahmed Izid bih are going to discuss the settlement of conflicts in North Africa and the Middle East, as well as development of bilateral relations between the countries at a meeting in Moscow on Tuesday. Russian Foreign Ministry’s official spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said earlier that at the forthcoming talks the parties will "exchange views on the situation in North Africa, the Middle East, the Sahara-Sahel zone, the situation in the Western Sahara and Middle East, the current situation in Syria and around it". Particular attention, according to Zakharova, will be given to strengthening ties between Russia and Mauritania, including the economic sphere. This primarily relates to interaction in marine fisheries, since the waters off the coast of West Africa are among the most attractive for fishing. Moscow is working to ensure favorable conditions for the work of Russian companies in the exclusive economic zone of Mauritania. The parties will also talk about cooperation in energy and hydrocarbon production, where the experience and capabilities of Russian companies could be useful, as well as training of Mauritanian national personnel to work in these areas. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the positions of the two countries on the majority of key international issues in the political sphere coincide, although Moscow intends to continue working to deepen the dialogue. According to the Ministry, Russia believes that the visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Mauritania is "an important step in the development of traditional relations, friendship and mutually beneficial partnership." Read more