06/01/2009
Mauritania recalled its ambassador to Israel on Monday (January 5th) "for consultations", Journal Tahalil reported, adding that while the move is widely perceived to be a protest against the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip, it does not necessarily signal the imminent rupture of diplomatic relations. Ahmed Ould Teguedi Teguedi has served as ambassador to Tel Aviv since Mauritania opened diplomatic relations with Israel in 1999.
Also Monday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met with the foreign ministers of Morocco, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, and the UAE in New York to discuss the Gaza crisis. Talks focused on how to bring "the violence to an immediate end and restore peace and stability in the region", international press quoted the UN chief as saying after the meeting.