Hands on the parts and parts on the hands, as Maruja Torres would say. Last week, the president of Mauritania, Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz--nothing to do with the Polisario lunatic of the same name--sat in Madrid with Spanish political leaders in order to cook up a stronger presence of Madrid in Mauritania .

Why is Spain so interested in Mauritania?

Because much of its diaspora lives in the Canary Islands and Madrid. And the new Mauritanian authorities want those people to return to the country to participate in the reform process. And Madrid is interested in cooperation with Mauritania to increase their share of power in the 5+5 Dialogue.

Spain has declared to Mauritania that it's included in their priority countries of interest. For those in Spain, watch out for consultants who detest "the Moors" (ha ha) Africa II Plan of the Government for 2009-2012. Since 2005, both countries have tightened their bilateral relations, traditionally focused on fishing and development cooperation, now extending to cooperation on immigration, the fight against terrorism and supporting Spanish investment.

Also the Master Plan for Spanish Cooperation 2009-2012 points to Mauritania as a priority country. Spain ranks sixth in development aid donations and third at a European level, only behind the European Commission and France.

Between 2003 and 2008 Spain doubled bilateral Official Development Assistance, which last year reached more than thirty million euros. Spanish cooperation focuses on the governance, fight against hunger, education, health, and development of basic services.

The Spanish president, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, pledged last week to the Mauritanian president, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, to develop relationships with the Twenty-Seven during the six month period of the Spanish EU presidency, which begins next January 1.

Including a Donors Conference

Spain will propose in this period for there to be a donors conference for Mauritania with the ultimate goal of consolidating the democratization process in that country through an inclusive dialogue of government and opposition to ensure a horizon of stability, ensure national unity, and promote economic development.

Ould Abdelaziz, who passed through Paris before visiting Madrid in what is his first official trip to Europe, is the general who led the August 2008 coup that overthrew the country's first democratic president. After resigning as head of the military junta who ruled the country since then, he won presidential elections last July, endorsed by the international community.

Zapatero has reaffirmed Spain's support for a return to a normal institutional situation and democratic stability in Mauritania, while Abdelaziz thanked Spain's continued efforts in getting out of the crisis in Mauritania and the return to democratic order.

Both presidents have been studying how to boost bilateral economic cooperation and encourage Spanish investment, since Zapatero's government sees potential in the areas of fishing (Spain is the main beneficiary of the Agreement on EU-Mauritania Fishing), construction, energy and tourism.