The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is "concerned" by Wednesday's coup d'etat in Mauritania, alliance officials said Friday, reported dpa.
"The seizure of power by force is to be rejected," a NATO spokesman said in a statement, adding that the alliance hopes that the country will see a quick return to democracy and the rule of law.
NATO will continue to follow the situation closely, he said.
Mauritania is a member of NATO's so-called "Mediterranean dialogue," a diplomatic process aimed at enhancing security and stability on the alliance's southern flank.
Wednesday's coup by army leaders in an apparent row over jobs was followed Thursday by a pledge to hold democratic elections. That pledge met with a cold reception in Europe.
NATO "welcomed the free and fair elections that took place in 2007," the statement pointed out in an apparent response to that offer.