MECCA, Saudi Arabia - Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad held talks with Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdullah, the president of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, in Mecca on Friday.

The two presidents insisted on expanding economic cooperation and sharing experiences in different fields. The two senior officials also pointed to great potentials in the Islamic world and the need to use them to upgrade the economic status of the Muslim ummah.
Ahmadinejad said Iran has made good progresses in different fields and it is prepared to share its experiences with all Islamic nations.
Ahmadinejad said Iran has endured greatly to become economically self-sufficient.
""Muslims should stand on their own feet and develop their countries,"" Ahmadinejad told Abdullah.
The Mauritanian president, for his part, said religious affinities between the two countries provides a good opportunity for expanding cooperation between Tehran and Nouakchott.
Sheikh Abdullah also said that his country follows developments in Iran. He added Mauritania is interested in sharing Iran's experiences in different fields particularly in agriculture.
The Iranian president is on a Hajj pilgrimage at the invitation of the Saudi king.
Mauritania, officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is a country in North-West Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the west, by Mali on the east and southeast, and by Western Sahara on the northwest (most of which is occupied by Morocco). It is named after the ancient Berber kingdom of Mauretania. The capital and largest city is Nouakchott, located on the Atlantic coast.
The first fully democratic Presidential election since 1960 in the state occurred on 11 March 2007. The election is the final transfer from military to civilian rule following the military coup in 2005. This is the first time the president has been selected by ballot in the country's history. The election was won by Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdullah