President of Republic Meets with Representatives of Mauritanian Diaspora in Côte d’Ivoire

The President of the Republic, His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, held, yesterday, Sunday evening, at his residency in Abidjan, a meeting with the representatives of the Mauritanian diaspora in Côte d’Ivoire. At the very beginning of the meeting, the President of the Republic stressed the importance that the public authorities attach to the Mauritanians residing abroad. In this regard, the Mauritanian diasporas have been added to the title of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to deal with our citizens wherever they are. His Excellency the President of the Republic pointed out the Mauritanian community in Côte d’Ivoire is fundamentally economic, especially since it has played a primordial role for a long time which should be recognized and considered. He called on the members of the community to continue giving the best image of the Mauritanian people, pledging to listen to the representatives of the community and take their suggestions and ideas into considerations. The President of the Republic then gave the floor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, and Mauritanians Abroad, Mr. Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, who confirmed the instructions given to the department to take into consideration the demands of Mauritanians abroad, in general, indicating that those who reside in Côte d’Ivoire are an illustration of this. The minister explained that His Excellency the President of the Republic and he himself are aware of the ordeal of the three Mauritanian prisoners in Côte d’Ivoire and the health situation of one of them, saying that the Mauritanian authorities in the country of residence are working on settling these cases as soon as possible. For his part, the spokesperson for the Mauritanian community in Côte d’Ivoire presented the demands of our fellow citizens, which included the settlement of the aforementioned prisoners’ situation, the pursuit of the economic and commercial integration with the Economic Community of West African states (ECOWAS), the expansion of diplomatic, cultural, and educational Mauritanian representations in Côte d’Ivoire, and the Extension of the reception capacity of the citizens’ reception office. Several members of the diaspora intervened to present demands and urgent issues that they believe need a prompt solution. In his response, His Excellency, the President of the Republic insisted on the importance and relevance of such demands, promising that they will be studied and implemented according to the relevant modalities. His Excellency instructed the embassy and the foreign affairs department to immediately work on satisfying the demands of the Mauritanian community in Côte d’Ivoire.