The French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Catherine Colonna, and the Secretary General of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), Louise Mushikiwabo were received separately by the Head of State on 4 November 2023 at Unity Palace. They met on the sidelines of the 44th Ministerial Conference of La Francophonie, organised in Cameroon.
Her Excellency Catherine Colonna’s courtesy call opened the day with a 90-minute audience with President Paul BIYA, held in a cordial and friendly atmosphere. She began by conveying the warm greetings of French President Emmanuel Macron, whose official visit to Cameroon in July 2022 launched a new dawn of cooperation ties between Yaounde and Paris. The Head of State and his guest reviewed the realisation of the initiatives that were decided upon following the French leader’s visit. They focused on the progress made in the fields of agriculture, youth development, and civil protection.
The French Minister thanked and congratulated the President of the Republic for the smooth organisation of the 44th Ministerial Conference of La Francophonie.
Both personalities equally exchanged views on the major topics in world politics, especially the security challenges in the Middle East and the Sahel region.
Minister Catherine Colonna told reporters that Cameroon and France share a similar vision on various issues. Thus, both countries are determined to fine-tune cooperation ties in areas such as good governance, the rule of law, and the development of each country based on the fundamental principles of the UN Charter.
President Paul BIYA continued the day with a 60-minute audience with H.E. Louise Mushikiwabo, Secretary General of La Francophonie. She appreciated all the measures taken by Cameroon to guarantee the excellent organisation of the 44th Ministerial Conference of La Francophonie. She delivered a congratulatory message from the ministers of the organisation who expressed their satisfaction with the extraordinary hospitality of the Cameroonian people.
The Head of State and the SG of La Francophonie spoke at length about the recapitalisation of the OIF – to facilitate the execution of new and ambitious projects earmarked for the organisation’s growth. They concluded with an evaluation of the rise in the disruption of constitutional order in some member states.
