By Mohamed al-Bakay

NOUAKCHOTT, Mauritania

Mauritania and Saudi Arabia on Wednesday inked a landmark military agreement, according to the Mauritanian Defense Ministry.

The deal was signed at the ministry’s headquarters in capital Nouakchott by Mauritanian Defense Minister Diallo Mamadou Bhatia and Saudi Deputy Defense Minister Mohammed bin Abdullah al-Ayash.

According to a ministry statement, the agreement calls for joint military training; information and logistical exchanges between the two signatories; and stepped-up cooperation in the military and medical fields.

In a speech delivered at a signing ceremony, Bhatia said the agreement embodied the two countries’ "solid relations".

On Tuesday, a high-ranking Saudi military delegation led by al-Ayash arrived in Mauritania for an official visit, during which delegation members met with their Mauritanian counterparts.