The German Ambassador to Cameroon says Africa is an “equal partner” in trade.
“Sometime ago, many people said Africa was a lost continent, characterized by wars, corruption, human rights abuse, human trafficking and several other odds,” remarked the German Ambassador to Cameroon, Reinhard Buchholz, at the Germano-Cameroon bilateral business forum, launched in Douala last Thursday 21st. “Today, Africa is better than some industrialized nations, in terms of economic outlook and per capita income; Africans no longer allow themselves to be dragged around by old colonial powers; many Africans have opted for democracy and also resolved to shape their destinies by themselves… Africa has become safer; and those who still neglect the continent would miss great opportunities,” Reinhard reiterated.
H.E Reinhard Buchholz’s vision was corroborated by the German business delegation leader, Patrik Reuter, who added that “I foresee a strong and sustainable economic partnership between Cameroon and Germany; there is a strong signal that the Germans are interested in planting indelible economic ties here; and I am convinced the outcome will pay off, judging from the historical links between the two nations, the peace that reigns in Cameroon and the fact that the country is located at the heart of Africa.” Reuter led a huge delegation of countrymen, actively involved in diverse business sectors, including finance, engineering, import, export, among others.
In their various speeches, the representative of the government delegate to the Douala Urban Council and the president of the confederation of the Cameroon businessmen (GICAM) traced the Germano-Cameroon relationship as far back as 1868, when the Germans first visited the Littoral region for both political and commercial interests. The speakers noted that the Littoral, as well as other regions of the country, have benefited immensely from the Germano-Cameroon bilateral trade in cocoa, coffee, petroleum and wood. The Minister of Industries, Mines and Technological Development, Badel Ndanga Ndinga, who chaired the forum, remarked that Cameroon ranks the fourth country in Sub Saharan Africa in terms of students strength trained in Germany, and that between 2008 and 2009, Germany invested the sum of 39 million Euros in Cameroon.
