On the sidelines of the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9), Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye met with his Mauritanian counterpart, Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani.
The two leaders reaffirmed their strategic partnership, which has been recently strengthened by a new agreement on mobility and progress on the Grand Tortue Ahmeyim gas project.
The meeting in Tokyo is part of a series of bilateral initiatives that aim to deepen the relationship between the two nations, which are linked by history, geography, and a shared destiny. A key development was the signing of a new agreement on the conditions of entry, stay, and establishment in June 2025. This new text replaces a 1972 agreement and facilitates the mobility of people, reduces application fees, and removes the requirement for proof of income for initial applications.
The bilateral partnership is also centered on the Grand Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) gas project, a major energy initiative. On May 22, 2025, the two presidents jointly visited the GTA offshore platform, located off their coasts. The project, which is operated by BP, Kosmos Energy, Petrosen, and the Mauritanian Hydrocarbons Company (SMH), began production in January and exported its first cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in April. Phase 1 is expected to produce approximately 2.4 million tonnes of LNG annually.
The project is also a significant contributor to local development, with more than 3,000 jobs created and 300 local businesses involved since 2017. A training program has also qualified 47 apprentice technicians to become the next generation of offshore operators.
The Tokyo meeting, along with the recent agreements and energy developments, reflects the shared desire of both nations to consolidate political, diplomatic, economic, and energy cooperation for the benefit of both countries and regional stability.
AC/Sf/fss/abj/APA