Press release: ACP Secretary-General, Dr. Mohamed Ibn CHAMBAS, recently returned from a successful visit to Cameroon in the framework of the 6th Regional Meeting of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, which was held in Yaoundé from 27 to 29 April, 2011.

While there, Dr. Chambas met with several high-level Cameroonian officials and discussed various issues with them, including ACP-EU relations; strengthening regional integration in Central Africa; parliamentarians’ involvement in the implementation of the Cotonou Agreement; negotiations of the Economic Partnership Agreements; ACP-EU political dialogue; and development financing. It was in this context that Dr. Chambas met with the following dignitaries: the Rt. Honourable Mr. Yang Philemon, Prime Minister and Head of Government of Cameroon; Honourable Cavaye YEGUE Djibril, President of the National Assembly; Honourable Amadou ALI, Deputy Prime Minister in charge of the Department of Justice; Honourable Henri EYEBE AYISSI, Minister of External Relations; Honourable Louis Paul MOTAZE, Minister of Finance and Planning and National EDF Authorising Officer; Honourable Luc-Magloire ATANGANA MBARGA, Minister of Trade; and Honourable Grégoire Owona, Minister-Delegate to the President of the Republic in charge of Relations with the Assemblies.

All the officials who met with the Secretary-General reaffirmed their country’s commitment to continue to work towards strengthening the development partnership between the European Union and the ACP countries. It should be noted that Cameroon’s capital was the platform from which the ACP-EEC conventions were launched, with the signing of the First Yaoundé Convention (1963-1969) and the Second Yaoundé Convention (1969-1975), paving the way for the partnership for development between Europe and ACP countries.

The Secretary General also attended the Diplomatic Forum of the Cameroon Institute of International Relations (IRIC), a reference centre for the training of diplomats and international relations specialists across Africa. Dr Chambas’ participation formed part of the festivities marking the 40th anniversary of the IRIC where he was a specially invited guest. The Secretary General´s speech was titled,

“The Changing Global Environment and Its Impacts on the ACP-EU Relationship” and was delivered before an audience that included members of the government, diplomats, teachers and students.