Madar (Nouakchott) - Mauritania's Minister of the Interior, Decentralisation and Local Development, Mokhtar Ould Ahmed Bousseif, on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, received his Spanish counterpart Fernando Grande-Marlaska at the ministry in Nouakchott, where he is on a working visit at the head of a high-level official delegation, the Mauritanian News Agency reported.
The two ministers discussed ways to strengthen cooperation and friendship and develop their bilateral partnership, particularly on security and the fight against irregular migration.
Ould Ahmed Bousseif outlined Mauritania's national approach to irregular migration, which combines security, legal, humanitarian and development dimensions, focusing on fighting migrant smuggling and human trafficking networks, strengthening border controls and preventing Mauritanian territory from being used as a transit point to Europe.
Grande-Marlaska praised Mauritania's efforts, describing relations between the two countries as "truly distinguished" and saying Spain sees Mauritania as "a strategic partner and ally." He called for diversifying and expanding cooperation beyond security to economic and social fields.
The meeting was attended by the ministry's secretary general, Abderrahmane Ould El Hassen, the director general of national security, Lieutenant General Mohamed Ould Ahreitani, Spain's ambassador in Nouakchott and members of the Spanish delegation.
During the visit, the Spanish minister was also received by President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, after talks with Fisheries Minister Aissata Lam on maritime surveillance. Read also: the background to the visit, migration and shared interests.
