Queen Letizia of Spain began her annual cooperation visit yesterday – this year’s destination is the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation-AECID carries out various cooperation projects in different under-developed countries. And Letizia has visited 7 countries since 2015.
Within the AECID directory, Mauritania is part of the group of Least Advanced Association Countries. When in 1995 the Spanish Cooperation began to carry out projects in Mauritania, lines of work were drawn up aimed at reducing poverty in the country from different areas of development. After establishing the Technical Cooperation Office in 1998, the AECID began a series of works to consolidate democratic processes and the rule of law; the promotion of economic opportunities for the most vulnerable -mainly in rural development and health services.
On Wednesday, the itinerary began with a meeting between Her Majesty the Queen and the Technical Cooperation Office, where she unveiled a plaque commemorating her visit and met with the staff working with the AECID office. Then she toured the facilities available at the Cooperation office.
Next, Doña Letizia was joined by First Lady Mariem Fadel Dah for a visit to the logistics platform of the National Society for the Distribution of Frozen Fish (SNDP) and a women’s shelter. At SNDP the Queen was received by the Director-General of the SNDP, Mr. Mohamed Cherif Ahmed. Letizia was shown the fishing project being carried out by the SNDP.
The next stop of the day was a visit to the Comprehensive Care Project for Victims of Gender Violence. Doña Letizia was accompanied on her way through the Special Police Station against Gender Violence by the Minister of Social Action, Children and Family. Letizia was briefed by the team about the projects that include police, medical, psychological, and judicial attention. Before leaving, Her Majesty the Queen toured the facilities of the Police Station.
In the afternoon Queen Letizia went to the University of Nouakchott. During her visit to this University Center, the Queen learned about the training projects for medical specialists, as well as the gender observatory project. At the Faculty of Medicine, the Queen was joined by the First Lady of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania and by the President of the University of Nouakchott.
The visit included, among other things, the projection of a video from the University of Nouakchott, attendance at a practical session of the Immediate Life Support course on connected mannequins, and a brief explanation of the training activities carried out in the project led by Dr. Marta Bernardino, which included a visit to a classroom where Mauritanian resident doctors are trained in laparoscopic surgery with simulators.
After this visit, the next they moved to the Faculty of Legal and Economic Sciences. Letizia was received by the dean of the Faculty of Legal and Economic Sciences, Mr. Salem Abeidna: and by the coordinator of the Gender Observatory classroom, Mrs. Fatma El Kory. Letizia received a brief explanation of the project from the OTC’s technical assistant in governance and gender.
The second last stop of the day was Bellawahk where, accompanied by the Minister of Social Action, Children and Family, she visited the “Promopêche” Project: promotion of artisanal fishing in protected natural areas”. She attended the explanation session on the training activities of the Spanish-Mauritanian cooperation in the training of fishing gear; and during her visit to the project and activities, she had the opportunity to tour a fishing net restoration area, a Mechanics Room, and another for Artisanal Fish Transformation. Mrs. Letizia then went to the seashore, where a boat was waiting for her to try her hand at the fishing.
The day ended with a meeting with the Spanish Cooperation, at the Residence of the Spanish Ambassador in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.
On the morning of Thursday, the 2nd, Her Majesty the Queen visited the “Queen Letizia Agricultural Innovation Project”, located on the Nouakchott Region plot. After being received by the Minister of Social Action, Children and Family and a welcoming word from the President of the Region, Doña Letizia unveiled a plaque commemorating her visit to this Project and toured the greenhouse, its seedbeds, and plants transplant, the head of irrigation and fertilizer of the drip system and the plot, with its plantations in progress, work, and training.
The next point of her trip was the Emergency Center (SAMU). Letizia visited an ambulance equipped for emergencies, where the activities are carried out in the project and the main lines of action were explained to her, visiting the Center’s facilities, specifically the call center, the training room, and the pharmacy, with explanations included the training given at its facilities.
Next, Letizia went to the Zayed Center where, together with the First Lady of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, she attended a video showing activities at the Center, visited the facilities, and an exhibition of the work carried out for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
The last agenda on the itinerary was the lunch with the First Lady at the President’s House.
After lunch, Queen Letizia bid farewell to her host and departed for Spain from Nouakchott International Airport.
