On Tuesday, August 1, President Paul Biya ratified a series of agreements with three African countries and one South American country.
The first is a defense cooperation agreement between Cameroon and Algeria, signed on July 31, 2022, in Algiers. The 10-year agreement, tacitly renewable for a further year, provides for enhanced military cooperation between the two countries. This includes the establishment and maintenance of contacts between ministries responsible for defense matters, the fight against terrorism, the exchange of experience and information of mutual interest, and training.
The second agreement, signed on February 24, 2021, in Yaoundé, concerns air transport services between Cameroon and Algeria. It revises the 1974 agreement and is designed to promote tourism and boost trade between the two countries. In particular, it provides for the opening of a direct air link between Algiers and Yaoundé, which should facilitate travel and boost the development of trade and tourism via their respective airports.
The third act ratified is a bilateral agreement between Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea for cooperation in the exploitation of cross-border oil and gas fields. The agreement was signed on March 17, on the sidelines of the 15th Conference of Heads of State and Government of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC). The agreement commits the two governments to work together to develop, and monetize several oil and gas fields located along the border between the two countries. Under this agreement, Cameroon will capitalize on the new Punta Europa gas facilities in Equatorial Guinea to process its gas.
The fourth is a framework agreement on defense and security cooperation between Cameroon and Egypt, signed on October 11, 2022, in Yaoundé and valid for three years. Under this agreement, Yaoundé and Cairo commit to cooperating on military training, logistics services, exchange of experts, military intelligence, electronic information and communication systems, military medicine, and military industry.
The fifth and final agreement ratified by the President on Tuesday was signed between Cameroon and Uruguay on November 17, 2022, in Montevideo. It aims to boost, densify and diversify cooperation between the two countries in various sectors such as agriculture, industry, tourism, but also sports (including all related activities such as training, sports medicine, etc.). A delegation of Uruguayan economic operators is scheduled to visit Cameroon in 2023 as part of an economic mission. All these texts were adopted by the National Assembly and the Senate during the parliamentary session last June.
P.N.N.