Nouakchott / Mohamed Bekkai / Anadolu

Mauritania and Morocco on Saturday discussed ways to enhance security cooperation and coordination on border security, combating irregular migration and organized crime.

This came during talks between Mauritanian Interior Minister Mohamed Ahmed Ould Mohamed Lemine and his Moroccan counterpart Abdelouafi Laftit at the headquarters of the Moroccan Interior Ministry in the capital Rabat.

In a statement published on its Facebook account, the Mauritanian Interior Ministry said the two sides discussed enhancing cooperation in security and administrative fields, border security issues, combating irregular migration and organized crime.

According to the statement, the two sides also discussed enhancing the participatory dynamic between the two interior ministries, coordinating joint efforts and supporting central cooperation between authorities in both countries.

The Mauritanian Interior Minister began an indefinite visit to Rabat on Friday at the invitation of his Moroccan counterpart.

The Mauritanian Interior Ministry said the visit comes within the framework of growing coordination between the two countries on border security files, combating smuggling networks and human trafficking, combating irregular migration, and administrative and decentralized cooperation.

It highlighted the importance of the visit in facing security challenges in the Sahel region, supporting regional stability, security coordination and enhancing trade exchanges.

The positions of Nouakchott and Rabat differ on regional issues, particularly the file of the disputed Western Sahara region between Morocco and the Polisario Front, as well as the occasional reception of Polisario officials at the presidential palace in Nouakchott.

Mauritania says its position on this conflict is 'neutral' and aims to find a peaceful solution that spares the region the risk of escalation.

Rabat proposes expanded autonomy for the Western Sahara region under its sovereignty, while the Polisario Front calls for a self-determination referendum, a proposal supported by Algeria which hosts refugees from the region.