Country-Morocco Cooperation - New Ambassador Takes Seat

Two events, all concerning relations between Cameroon and Morocco took place at the Unity Palace last Friday, May 18; presentation of the letter of credence and receiving in audience of the Chief Executive Officer of Attijariwafa Bank.

The first event which commenced at 1pm and which had to do with the presentation of the Letter of Credence took place under strict diplomatic setting. The setting consisted of the mounting of the guard of honour spiced by the Presidential Guard band, singing of the National Anthems of both countries, first for Cameroon on the arrival of the Designated Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to Cameroon and second that of Morocco at the exit of Ambassador after the presentation of the Letter of Credence.

As usual, it was a ceremony of speeches but that which Ambassador Lahcen Saile handed the letter from King Mohammed VI to President Paul Biya assigning him with the responsibilities of Ambassador to Cameroon. The new Ambassador, who is married and father of three, has a rich professional career. After his university studies in political science from where he earned the "Certificat d'Aptitude de l'Académie de Droit Internationale de Lahey" , he got his recruitment into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Copperation as adviser in 1986. From there he held several posts of responsibilities including post of Adviser at the Moroccan Embassies in Cairo, Beyrouth and Abu-Dhabi. Among the positions he held priority to his appointment to Cameroon was Head of the Division for the Maghrebian-Arab Union at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Head of State was accompanied in the ceremony by his close collaborators including, Pierre Moukoko Mbonjo, Minister of External Relations, Ferdinand Ngo Ngo, Secretary General at the Presidency of the Republic, Martin Belinga Eboutou, Director of Civil Cabinet, Col. Emmanuel Amougou, Chef d'etat major de President de la Republic, and Col. Raymond Etoundi Nsoé, Commander of the Presidential Guard. Ambassador Lahcen Saile equally presented to the Head of state members of his suite.

Whereas the first even was purely diplomatic, the second had an economic shape with Mohammed El Kettani, Chief Executive Officer of the Attijariwafa Bank announcing the interest of his bank in financing some of the major projects streamlined by President Paul Biya. After a 40-minute audience with the Head of State, the Attijariwafa Bank official told reporters his financial institution that owns 51 percent shares of Cameroon's Société Commerciale de banques SCB-Cameroun was eying projects such as the Kribi Deep Seaport, electric power supply, and agro-industry projects. He equally announced the interest of his bank in boosting Small and Medium Sized Enterprises in Cameroon and investing in low cost housing.