The opening ceremony for the preparatory meeting of experts for the high-level meeting to adopt the diagnostic study of the agricultural, animal and fishery capabilities of the G5 Sahel countries took place on Sunday morning, 30/9/2018 at Iman Hotel in Nouakchott, capital of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. The opening ceremony was held under the joint chairmanship of H.E Prof. Ibrahim Adam El Dukheri the Director General of the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD), and Dr. Mahaman Sambo Siddiqui the Permanent Secretary of the G5 Sahel Countries.

The opening ceremony was also attended by representatives from the Ministries of Agriculture of Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Chad. As well as the representative of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, some regional and international organizations, international consultant, national consultants and the G5 focal points. The opening ceremony was an occasion for exchanging speeches between H.E (AOAD) Director General, the Permanent Secretary of the G5 and the representative of the Arab Bank. They agreed on the importance of this event and the prospects presented by the study to move forward the economic development in the region and particularly to achieve the objectives of food security. AOAD has implemented the technical implementation and co-financed the high-level meeting to be held during the 3rd of October at the Nouakchott Conference Palace.