Cameroon celebrates National Day in Ankara

By Felix Tih and Dilara Hamit

ANKARA (AA) - Cameroon's ambassador hailed his country’s relations with Turkey Monday while marking National Day.

Victor Tchatchouwo made the comments at a gathering in Turkey’s capital, Ankara, under the theme “Unity in Diversity, a major asset of the Cameroonian people in their determined move towards emergence”.

Tchatchouwo expressed the importance of excellent cooperation and solidarity between Turkey and Cameroon.

The ambassador said the number of high-level visits between authorities of both countries and commercial exchanges have been increasing in recent years.

During his speech, Tchatchouwo also highlighted the role of other mutual projects, including the scholarship program granted by Turkey’s Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB).

The envoy added that Ankara and Yaounde are engaged in many fields, including politics, commerce, economy and education.

Youth and Sports Minister Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoglu attended the embassy’s National Day celebrations.

He stressed the importance of Cameroon’s decision to open an embassy in Turkey for the first time.

“It will improve bilateral relations between our countries in every field,” Kasapoglu said.

“Cameroon is one of the important countries in Central Africa for us.

“The bilateral trade volume between Turkey and Cameroon was around $200 million last year,” he said.

He added that the two countries aim to reach a trade volume of over $200 million this year.

Citing Turkish contractors’ ongoing infrastructure projects in Cameroon, Kasapoglu said: “Our companies’ interests in Cameroon have been significantly increasing.”

Tchatchouwo presented his letter of credence to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in December 2018.

He is Cameroon’s first ambassador to Turkey.

On May 20, 1972, Cameroonians voted for a unitary state in a national referendum.

In line with President Paul Biya’s objective to turn his country into an emerging economy by 2035, significant infrastructure and transformational projects and initiatives have been launched in Cameroon, and Turkish companies’ interest in and contribution to this process have increased steadily, according to the Turkish Foreign Ministry.