Mauritania and the European regional system of post-colonialism to Euro-Mediterranean Association
During the five decades that have elapsed since it gained independence, Mauritania – a country that is lacking in natural resources and highly dependent on exterior aid – has prioritised its relations with the European regional system. These relations have been a reflection of the evolution of the p...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | Spanish |
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Barcelona Centre for International Affairs (CIDOB)
2010-04-01
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| Series: | Revista CIDOB d'Afers Internacionals |
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| Online Access: | http://www.cidob.org/en/content/download/23758/274371/file/11_JUAN+MANUEL+URUBURU.pdf |
| Summary: | During the five decades that have elapsed since it gained independence, Mauritania – a country that is lacking in natural resources and highly dependent on exterior aid – has prioritised its relations with the European regional system. These relations have been a reflection of the evolution of the principles of EU external action. Thus, during the period prior to the Maastricht Treaty, relations with Mauritania were framed within a collection of agreements based on development cooperation and fishing licences. However, with the introduction (in the 1990s) of a European Common Foreign and Security Policy, provided with new principles, a new political dimension was introduced into these relations; a dimension that would demonstrate its importance in Mauritania’s recent political evolution. In this context, the aim of this article is: to analyse the main elements that have determined the evolution of this process of relations between the European Union and Mauritania; to examine the effects of the introduction of political criteria into this cooperation, and its impact on Mauritania’s increasing closeness to the Euro-Mediterranean space; and to highlight, particularly, Spain’s role with respect to designing EU strategies in areas of particular importance for our country’s interests, such as political dialogue, controlling migration flows and fishing. |
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| ISSN: | 1133-6595 2013-035X |