Cameroon-EU: Fruitful Cooperation Deepened in Yaounde

Cameroon and European Union officials exchanged on diverse issues during the first ordinary session of their Structured Political Dialogue for 2018.

The already fruitful cooperation between Cameroon and European Union will in 2018 witness a greater impetus as officials of the two parties during the first annual ordinary session of the Structured Political Dialogue between Cameroon and European Union for 2018 took place in Yaounde on January 16, 2018.

The session was co-chaired by Cameroon’s Minister of External Relations, Lejeune Mbella Mbella and Ambassador, Head of the European Union Delegation in Cameroon, Hans Peter Schadek.

The eight cooperation areas discussed during the Yaounde dialogue session agreed by the two sides included the situation and prospects in Europe (elections-migrations- Brexit); AU-EU summit (climate, radicalization); situation and prospects in Cameroon (Boko Haram, crisis in the North West and South West Regions); sub-regional issues (Lake Chad, Boko Haram, economic issues) Brexit; the midterm review of the execution of the 11th European Development Fund and the post-Cotonou negotiations.

Political cooperation between Cameroon and European Union has been growing from strength to strength since the start of the Structured Political Dialogue on May 14, 2004 with the 26 session being that of January 16, 2018.

Political cooperation is also evidence through exchange of visits between officials of the two parties. Key summits in which President Paul Biya personally participated include the 4th Africa- European Union Summit that held from April 3-4, 2014 in Brussels and the 5th European Union-African Union summit that held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire on November 28-30, 2017 on the theme "investing in youths for inclusive accelerated growth and sustainable development".

Economic, Financial Cooperation Minister Lejeune Mbella Mbella during his welcome statement lauded the signing of the convention relating to the European Union budgetary support to Cameroon on November...