Meeting between the Minister and Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug, Mauritanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mauritania Relation bilatérale Statement On : November 12th 2026 On November 12, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot met with Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Mauritanians Abroad.This meeting was part of an effort to strengthen political, cultural and economic ties between France and Mauritania.The meeting also covered major international issues and the imperative need to defend multilateralism, following the Paris Peace Forum and a few days before the Francophonie Summit, which will take place in Phnom Penh on November 15 and 16, 2026.