Sealing of More Cameroon-Morocco Cooperation Bonds Today

Cameroon and Morocco will today in Yaounde seal solid cooperation bonds on the occasion of the second session of the Joint Commission between the two countries.

Morocco's Foreign Affairs Minister Saad-Eddine El Othmani heading the country's delegation to the Commission session, according to the D-Day programme, will fly into Yaounde today morning and after a courtesy audience with Cameroon's Minister of External Relations, Pierre Moukoko Mbonjo, the two Foreign Affairs Ministers will co-chair the official opening ceremony of the session. As experts will continue finalising cooperation agreements and other documents to be signed to foster bilateral cooperation and partnership, the Moroccan Foreign Affairs Minister will have talks with some Cameroon cabinet ministers.

The Cameroon-Morocco Joint Commission whose first session took place on January 23 and 24, in 2007 in Rabat, Morocco, stalled due to programming hurdles. The highly awaited moment in the second session will be closing ceremony at the Yaounde Conference Centre during which the respective delegation leaders will sign cooperation agreements and chart the way forward for strengthened win-win cooperation.

During the opening of experts meeting on September 5, the Director of Judicial Affairs and Treaties in Morocco's Foreign Affairs Ministries, Lahcen Azoulay said focus on their work will be on strengthening relations in sectors such as trade exchanges, training, education, agriculture and water, health and social affairs. Experts have been meeting since Wednesday in sub-commissions to evaluate cooperation between Cameroon and Morocco, revisit cooperation agreements, seek ways of intensifying trade exchanges as well as discuss cooperation projects. The Foreign Affairs Ministers will during the session proper today validate the work of the experts.

Cameroon and Morocco established diplomatic relations at the level of Ambassadors in 1966. The judicial framework governing relations between the two countries is based on agreements in the sectors of culture, trade and tourism. The first session of Cameroon-Morocco Joint Commission of January 2007 in Rabat ended with signing of agreements to reciprocally encourage and protect investments, air transport; professional training; and higher education. The two countries also signed a protocol agreement in urban development and housing, as well as a framework agreement on energy, mines and geology.