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Transcript of the statements by the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, and the President of Mauritania at the summit of the african Union

MIL OSI Translation. Government of the Republic of France statements from French to English – Posted on 03 July 2018

Topic : International development and francophonie

Only the pronounced foiNouakchott – Monday 2 July 2018

Mr. president,

It is a great honour for me to be welcomed here in Nouakchott by president AZIZ. This visit responds to the invitation he had addressed a few months ago in the wake of our previous appointment and our conversations in Bamako, Abidjan, as in Paris, and I also have the honour to respond to an invitation, you just say, that was made to me to participate in the Summit of heads of State and government of the african Union. We are going to make all in a moment. This exchange will be an opportunity for me to mark my commitment to renew the relationship between France and the african continent, between Africa and Europe, but also to rethink this relationship in a concrete way, as we are in the process of doing so, among others, on the issues of security, combating terrorism education to mention only a few important topics.

President AZIZ is for me an essential partner in the relationship that France constructed with the african continent, and particularly in this region of the Sahel has been severely hit by terrorism. We will have the opportunity to make then get together after this meeting in the framework of the african Union, the defence college, one of the key centres of training is just the G5 Sahel, located here in Nouakchott.

You have recalled in the five countries of the Sahel deeply engaged in the fight against terrorism and, in fact, since the month of July, 2017, we multiplied the appointment to install, precisely, the joint force of the G5 Sahel in July 2017 to Bamako, to raise the required financing through successive meetings on the african continent as on the continent of europe, and up to the meeting in Brussels a few weeks ago. The formation of an alliance for the Sahel complements the military part of a party development is launching this initiative. Speaking of the G5 Sahel, of course I want to have a thought for our friends in mali following the attacks cowardly, odious, terrorist PC of Sévaré and Gao. Several French soldiers were injured, they are being evacuated to France but of malian civilians, civilians of africa who are killed by terrorism and who are the first victims of these barbarians we are fighting. And here I want to reaffirm the commitment of course, France, but I know it from

all member countries of the G5 Sahel, to combat the ignorance, the cowardice of which the first victims are the Africans themselves as a whole people who are affected by their action. We are going this afternoon to take concrete decisions where redeployment of our forces and positioning for the next few months. I know all the determination of the president AZIZ against terrorism, it has been shown in his country with great efficiency, and we will work together on new steps to, with our partners in the G5, roll back this threat in the region as a whole.

The bilateral relationship between our two countries is not limited to the about safe even if it is extremely important since security is the primary right that our fellow citizens all need. I hope that we can continue to intensify relations in the field of development projects and economic links. The French Development Agency is in the process of expanding its presence here, more than 40 million of projects are in the process of deploying and we are going to continue in all areas this action. It is also on the teaching plan, the teaching of French, to the accompaniment of higher education that I want that we can improve the thing and of course it is also culture, mauritanian culture shines in France and I would like to pay tribute to him. We will pass the day in several meetings with some of the major figures of mauritanian culture whether it be film, or other disciplines. It is also the excellence in the scientific field, with a polytechnic school that produces elite scientists remarkable.

I hope that the bilateral relationship can build up on these lines, that the action in the entire region of the Sahel can also have concrete results in the next few months as we have had concrete results in the months that have gone by and the exchange that we are going to have in few moments with all of the heads of State and government of the african Union to allow there also to take some concrete decisions. Thank you dear friend, Mr president, for your invitation and thank you for these common actions.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Please accept our apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure is not be perfect.