The Togolese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Robert Dussey, President-in-Office of the Council of Ministers of ECOWAS, chaired on October 27 in Nouakchott the first session of the Association Council between Mauritania and the West African organization.

Mauritania and ECOWAS signed an association agreement last August in Lomé. The organization would have preferred Nouakchott to present a readmission dossier, but finally the solution of associate state status has been validated.

The country left the West African group 17 years ago.

The agreement became effective; It remains to set the terms and implementation before formal ratification.

The Council underlined the importance of this association which will contribute to increase trade between the States, to stimulate the investment and the development in Mauritania, underlines a statement published Sunday.

Mauritania should quickly join the Common External Tariff (CET) and the Trade Liberalization Scheme (SLE).

On the Mauritanian side, several personalities took part in the Association Council, including Minister for Trade and Industry Naha Mint Hamdi Ould Mouknass and Foreign Minister Isselkou Ahmed Izud Bih.

During his stay in Nouakchott, Robert Dussey was received by President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz.