Thank you for your warm welcome. It is a pleasure to see you again, Mr President, shortly after your visit to Brussels. And to be here with you, Prime Minister Sánchez, is an exceptional pleasure. Our visit shows the importance of our partnership with Mauritania. That partnership has only grown in recent years, in a difficult context. I am thinking, of course, of the current instability in the Sahel. But also of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and its terrible impact on the world and on Africa in particular. Your condemnation of that attack does you honour, and it brings us closer together. In such a context, it is natural that we want to further strengthen our partnership. And we are doing that today.
Thanks, firstly, to our worldwide investment strategy, Global Gateway, which is working on the energy transition in Mauritania. You have great potential for green hydrogen – we discussed that in Brussels at the Global Gateway Forum – and we have launched a major Team Europe project in that area. With France, Germany and Spain, in particular, to develop the whole of this strategic sector by financing infrastructure, for example, but also the necessary skills. That will create jobs and attract investment here in Mauritania. Because that is the goal of Global Gateway – to grow our partners. Building this green hydrogen sector will require equipment and technology, which will have to be transported to the North of the country, where weather conditions – wind and sun – are among the most favourable in the world. The Commission will therefore support the development of the major Nouakchott-Nouadhibou road project.
And lastly, I want to mention a project that is so important for the lives of Mauritanians. A 1 400 km high-voltage line from Nouakchott to Néma, with a solar power plant in Kiffa for stable access to electricity and an accelerated energy transition. Together with the European Investment Bank, we plan to support this major project in the course of 2024. Global Gateway is also supporting your digital transition, for example by financially supporting the forthcoming launch of a data centre close to here, or participating in the funding of a second fibre-optic undersea cable for greater connectivity – and more opportunities.
We are also reinforcing our security partnership. The situation in the Sahel is very precarious, and Mauritania plays an essential role in the stability of the region. That is why we are increasing our security assistance by more than EUR 22 million, making EUR 40 million in total this year. This will, in particular, fund the equipping of a new Mauritanian battalion to combat terrorism and secure the eastern border with Mali, as well as the training of senior officers at the Defence College.
Insecurity and the lack of economic opportunities in the region are making many people migrate. This often brings them initially to Mauritania, as you yourself told us today. In that context, the fact that you are hosting some 150 000 refugees from Mali, fleeing the violence in their country, is commendable. This migration drives many people into the cynical traps laid by traffickers, placing their lives in danger. I would like to emphasise your remarkable commitment to saving the lives of migrants taking the Atlantic route, one of the most dangerous in the world. The European Union and Mauritania must step up their cooperation in this area and in the management of borders, returns and assistance for refugees, but also – and this is very important – to create more opportunities for young people. We have discussed a declaration and common road map which we will finalise in the spring, accompanied by a financial package – more than EUR 210 million by the end of the year – for managing migration, for humanitarian aid for refugees and for investments in employment, skills and entrepreneurship, under Global Gateway.
In conclusion, I am delighted to see our partnership evolving and becoming stronger. I know that we will be able to do great things together.
