Senegal and Spain Sign Memorandum on Sports and Strengthen Cooperation in Various FieldsThe Minister of Foreign Affairs and Senegalese Abroad, Ismaïla Madior Fall, and his Spanish counterpart José Manuel Albares Bueno, had a working session on Friday, December 15, 2023. On this occasion, the two ministers signed a memorandum on sports, which will enhance the cooperation between the two countries in the sectors of aviation and tourism, education and culture, maritime transport and fisheries, economy, finance and trade, security and migration, politics, diplomacy and military affairs.During their tête-à-tête, the ministers discussed the issue of irregular migration, which is a concern for both countries due to the dangers and risks associated with this type of migration. According to official data, in 2023, around 12,833 migrants arrived in Spain, out of which 9,319 claimed to be of Senegalese nationality.In order to address this issue, the two countries have agreed on the need to provide youth with employment opportunities in their own land. To this end, relevant measures are being taken for the prevention of irregular migration, as well initiatives to promote employment and employability of young people. Besides surveillance, co-development projects in the sectors of agriculture, fisheries and training for tourism-related jobs are being implemented. Additionally, circular migration projects, which need to be better regulated for wider outreach, can significantly contribute towards connecting migration and co-development in a mutually beneficial process for all stakeholders.The Senegalese Minister of Foreign Affairs and Senegalese Abroad acknowledged the beneficial dynamism of cooperation between the two countries in various fields, in line with the country’s development ambitions outlined in the Emerging Senegal Plan (PSE). This cooperation is defined within the “Framework Country Cooperation Document-Spain-Senegal” 2019-2023, and soon 2024-2029, which has yielded very successful results for Senegal, with a total of 128 million Euros, around 85 billion CFA francs, in public development aid for the 2019-2023 period. The cooperation also extends to development, agriculture, pharmaceutical industry, as well as bilateral collaboration in security and defense, and economic and commercial relations, which have been agreed to be expanded to include e-commerce promotion, services and most importantly, capacity building for the effective implementation of multilateral trade defense instruments.In his speech, José Manuel Albares Bueno highlighted that Senegal is a preferred partner for Spain, due its geographical proximity, as well as the personal ties that have been formed between the two countries and the excellent political relations. He also commended Senegal’s democracy and conveyed a message of support for its institutional stability.Overall, with this memorandum and the ongoing cooperation between Senegal and Spain, both countries are set to benefit greatly in the areas of sports and other fields. It is a commendable step towards building stronger ties and promoting mutual development
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