Having become an Associated State last August, Mauritania now, after 17 years of absence, wishes to become a full ECOWAS member. The first session of the ECOWAS-Mauritania integration council was thus held last October 27.

Present at the session were Robert Dussey, the Togolese minister of foreign affairs who is also the actual president of ECOWAS ministers’ council, Naha Mint Hamdi Ould Mouknass, Mauritania’s minister of trade, industry and tourism, Isselkou Ahmed Izid Bih, head of the Mauritanian diplomacy and Marcel de Souza, president of the ECOWAS Commission.

The session was mainly held to discuss what is needed for the effective implementation of the association agreement.

Even prior to the latter’s ratification, a particular accent was put on the implementation, by Mauritania, of the ECOWAS’ common external tariff and its trade liberalization scheme. Emphasis was also put on the free movement of goods, people and capitals, to facilitate trade.

ECOWAS and Mauritania will pursue talks and works to insure the full implementation of the association agreement.