Minister of National Defense Takes Part in 5+5 Defense Initiative Meeting

The Minister of National Defense, Mr. Hanena Ould Sidi, Participated, Wednesday, via videoconference, in the works of the thirteenth meeting of the 5+5 Defense Initiative. The Initiative brings together Mauritania, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Morocco, France, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Spain. This meeting between the ministers of defense of the countries member of the initiative aims at discussing and adopting the 2021 join action plan that Mauritania, which will assume the rotating presidency of the initiative next year, will have to implement. During the current session, the outcome of this year’s joint work was assessed before the final statement of the session was read and approved by the group’s ministers of defense. The Minister of National Defense started his speech by thanking the Maltese authorities and through them the countries member of the group for their efforts to implement the 2020 action plan despite the problems related to the pandemic, of which the successive waves have strongly impacted all vital sectors of the member countries He pointed out that the international dimension that the pandemic has taken requires the countries member of this group to strongly cooperate and coordinate to ensure the efficiency of the policies related to public health. In his speech, the Minister of National Defense said that ‘’in the time where Mauritania is getting ready to preside 5+5 initiative, I am aware of the challenges resulting from the exceptional situation, therefore Mauritania will not spare any efforts to promote the cooperation that serves security and social stability. Relying on the efforts and commitment of all of us, I am sure that we will successfully face the current challenges, such as: illegal migration, the fight against terrorism, human trafficking, cross-border crime, and the COVID-19 pandemic’’. The group’s ministers of defense expressed their satisfaction with the continued progress in the field of maritime surveillance, air security, and the contribution of the military forces to the management of major catastrophes, as well as training and academic research.