The Secretary-General met today with H.E. Mr. Ahmed Teguedi, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. He reiterated the United Nations' commitment to help the country achieve the Millennium Development Goals.

The Secretary-General and the Minister for Foreign Affairs exchanged views on the situation in the Sahel, including efforts to fight transnational threats and also to address the recurrent cycles of food crisis and malnutrition in the region. The Secretary-General thanked Mauritania for the solidarity shown to Malian refugees. They also exchanged views on Western Sahara.