CI-NEWS

Biya receives French foreign minister at state house.

2019-10-28

No: 453

Biya receives French foreign minister at state house.

President Paul Biya, last Wednesday at the State House, received in audience the French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Yves Le Drian, at the start of the latter’s two-day official visit to Cameroon.

During the audience, both personalities discussed a wide range of issues touching on Franco-Cameroonian relations. In a ceremony that took place with all the diplomatic finesse befitting of such meetings, the visiting French Foreign Minister and his host not only reviewed ties between both nations in the domains of security and trade, they also discussed ways and means through which such bilateral relations can be improved. The top French official arrived in the country at about midday last Tuesday on board a special flight, and was received at the Yaounde Nsimalen International Airport by a delegation led by Communication Minister and government spokesman, René Emmanuel Sadi. Among the delegation was the French Ambassador to Cameroon, Christophe Guilhou. Minister Le Drian had a significantly charged schedule in Cameroon. He was in Douala last Thursday where he took part in the inauguration of the second bridge over the River Wouri. The bridge was constructed with funds from the French Development Agency to the tune of nearly FCFA 145 billion. While in Douala, the French government Minster met with some youth groups as well as business actors. From Douala, Le Drain headed to Maroua, the Far-North regional capital where he met with heads of some of humanitarian groups working in the area.

Jean-Yves Le Drain’s visit to Yaounde comes less than two weeks after the head of State, President Paul Biya, met with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, on the sidelines of the Replenishment Conference of the Global Fund for the fight against HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The visit also comes not long after the Major National Dialogue held in Yaounde early this month with the view to seeking solutions to the insurgency in the North West and South West Regions. President Biya, it would be recalled, had said in an interview after the Lyon meeting with President Macron that he briefed the French leader on some of the recommendations of the national meeting that was held in Yaounde from September 30 to October 4. France and Cameroon, it should be said, have long-standing ties. Both countries established diplomatic cooperation in 1960 with Ambassador Jean-Pierre Bernard being the pioneer French envoy to the country. The ties cut across a variety of sectors including governance, health, education, infrastructure, rural development, the environment, higher education, research and culture. Cameroon also enjoys strong support from France in the domain of defence and security.

Adapted from Cameroon Insider.

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Biya receives French foreign minister at state house.