Readout of the Secretary-General’s meeting with H.E. Mr. Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania and Chairperson of the African Union

The Secretary-General met today with H.E. Mr. Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania and Chairperson of the African Union. They discussed the cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union. The Secretary-General encouraged the rapid operationalization of the African Capacity for Immediate Response to Crises. They also discussed international developments and exchanged views on regional issues, including Mali, the Sahel and Libya. The Secretary-General commended President Abdel Aziz for the “G5-Sahel” initiative established under his leadership. They agreed on the importance of good coordination between different regional initiatives, including the UN integrated strategy for the Sahel. They also discussed Western Sahara.