National
Spanish Foreign Minister announces new agreement with Mauritania
By m.p - May 24, 2007 - 10:06 PM
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The governments of Spain and Mauritania have agreed to sign a treaty of cooperation and friendship before the end of this year to increase bilateral relations, with the emphasis on the subject of immigration.
The Foreign Minister, Miguel Ángel Moratinos, was in Mauritania on Thursday for his first meeting with the country’s new government, voted in this March. He made the announcement about the agreement after a meeting in Nuakchot with the new President of Mauritania, Sidi Uld Cheij Abdallahi, who formally took office on 19th April.
The agreement may be signed during a possible visit to Mauritania before the end of the year by the Spanish Prime Minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero.
The Minister said at the press conference that Spain will also supply a reconnaissance plane as support for the patrols which take place of the country’s coastline.
In-depth discussions took place with Moratinos’s Mauritanian counterpart, Mohamed Salek Uld Mohamed Lémine, and the Prime Minister, Zein Uld Zeida.
The Foreign Minister’s trip to Mauritania followed a visit to Portugal earlier in the week, where cooperation on illegal immigration policy was also the main subject under discussion.
He agreed with the Portuguese Foreign Minister, Luis Amado, that the two countries would work together towards a common EU policy on immigration when Portugal takes over EU presidency on 1st July.
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More immigrant boats have meanwhile been intercepted off the Canary Islands, carrying an estimated 125 passengers.
The first, with 16 passengers from Morocco reached Gran Canaria on Wednesday night after they were intercepted close to port in Arguineguin. Three received medical treatment.
The second boat was from Sub Saharan Africa, and was spotted near Los Abrigos, 30 miles off the coast of southern Tenerife. They were brought into Los Cristianos port, in Arona, early on Thursday. One of the 25 passengers was reported to be delirious from dehydration.
The third vessel, with 93 people on board was intercepted on Thursday afternoon, off Tamaduste, on the island of El Hierro.
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