The second ordinary session of Parliament was closed Friday in both chambers.

At the National Assembly, the closing of this session took place under the chairmanship of Mr. Messaoud Ould Boulkheir, who expressed his "pride about the singularity of the Mauritanian Democratic and experience about the commitment of parliamentarians to preserve this experience and strengthen it to ensure the stability of our country and the well-being our people.

"The upheavals, that our national political scene have known and have coincided with our current session and that the delay has accused the renewal of office and bodies of the National Assembly, are all factors that have prevented the consideration and adoption of a package of important laws, "he recalled.

The president of the National Assembly also commended the office of the Assembly and the offices of newly elected committees as he thanked the previous team with which he had "the opportunity to work constructively, a year during" .

Mr. Messaoud Ould Boulkheir, furthermore, thanked his colleagues "for its efforts in this particular period in the history of our beloved fatherland".

the National Assembly had previously adopted unanimously the draft law authorizing the ratification of the protocol establishing the fishing opportunities under the partnership agreement in the fisheries sector, concluded in Nouakchott on March 13, 2008 between the European Community and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, for the period from 1 August 2008 to July 31, 2012.

The protocol, intervened after a series of trade negotiations depth, is to:

-- Establish a second stop biological two months (April-May 2008 and May - June for 2009-2012);

-- Reduce the effort on the octopus by 25% and other resources demersales other than shrimp, to varying degrees between 10 and 15%;

-- Improve, significantly, the average price per ton of different species;

-- Mitigate the potential catches by 41% but with a decrease of financial compensation of only about 12%;

-- Strengthen support sector through the financing of several actions arising from the strategy;

-- Stabilize the protocol whose time is now 4 years instead of two;

-- Being able to get a budget support under the National Indicative Programme (NIP) l0ème EDF.

During the review of the protocol, discussions of deputies focused on the need to protect the rich fisheries and the importance of control over foreign fleets bound by conventions in our country.

For his part, Minister of Fisheries, Mr. Assane Soumaré, responded to various questions from MPs in ensuring that the objective of the protocol is to protect the fish resources of the country. He added that this protocol will strengthen national interests, including labor, in that it emphasizes the support of this sub-sector as a fundamental pillar of development.

On another level, the National Assembly was elected Thursday during a plenary meeting, the chairmen and members of its committees.

This election gave the following results:

-- Chairman of the Committee on External Affairs Ould Taleb Khlifa

-- Chairman of the Committee on Economic Affairs: Sid 'Ahmed Ould Ahmed

-- Chairman of the Committee on Islamic Affairs and Human Resources: Dr. Mohamed Lemine Ould Cheikh

-- Chairman of the Commission of the Interior, Justice and Defence: S Lama Ould Abdallahi

-- Chairman of the Committee on Financial Affairs: Mintata Mint Hideid.

In the Senate, the second ordinary session of Parliament was closed Friday evening under the chairmanship of Mr. M'Baré said Mamadou Ba, president of the upper chamber.

On this occasion, Mr. M'Baré recalled that this session led to the adoption of important laws including the law authorizing the ratification of the treaty on the demarcation of borders between our country and the Republic of Cape Verde as well as authorising ratification of the protocol establishing the fishing opportunities under the partnership agreement in the fisheries sector, concluded between the European Community and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.

"Any elected by the people in any moughataa whatsoever, must take advantage of the parliamentary recess to ascertain the concerns of local populations and submit them to government officials to find suitable solutions," he added.

The chairman of the Senate felt that this vacation will be an opportunity to make the crop year 2008-2009 as a starting point for a real agricultural development in Mauritania in order to achieve food self-sufficiency, in response to the appeal by the President of the Republic to the nation on May 5, 2008 in Rosso.

The closing of the session took place in the presence of Ministers of Justice, Agriculture and Livestock, Trade and Industry, Islamic Affairs and Education Originel, Public Service and Modernization of the administration, Minister Delegate to the Prime Minister for the Environment, the Minister Delegate to the Minister of Economy and Finance in charge of Budget and Secretary of State for PUMA.