The Cameroon-Gabon Enlarged Joint Commission session ended in Yaounde last Friday with the signing of cooperation agreements.

Cameroon and Gabon have put in place a Permanent Joint Commission on security issues as a way of solving cross- border problems and also sought ways of reactivating in the short-run, the Ad hoc Committee on consular issues. These were some of the major decisions reached at the end of the 13^th edition of the Cameroon- Gabon Enlarged Joint Commission that took place in Yaounde on March 3 and 4. The closing ceremony of the session took place on March 4, night at the Ministry of External Relations with the hallmark being the signing of a joint communiqué. Cameroon’s Minister of External Relations, Henri Eyebe Ayissi signed for Cameroon, while Gabon’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Francophony, Paul Toungui signed for his country.

The Joint Commission session that came 14 years after that held in Libreville, Gabon, served as an occasion for officials and experts from the two brotherly neighbouring countries to identify ways and means of deepening and diversifying cooperation. The leaders of Cameroon and Gabonese delegations signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the creation of mechanisms for regular diplomatic consultations. They also signed cooperation agreements in areas such as professional training, small and medium-sized enterprises and handicraft, tourism, forestry, youth, associative life and leisure, as well as sports and physical education. Delegation members of the two countries, agreed to continue negotiations in view of concluding other cooperation agreements. Before signing the agreements, the Cameroon and Gabonese officials evaluated bilateral cooperation in areas that include economy and trade, agriculture, science, technology, culture, sports and physical education. Others were small and medium-sized enterprises, professional training, public works, transport and infrastructure, higher education, tourism, post and telecommunications and defence.

The leader of the Cameroonian delegation, Eyebe Ayissi expressed the wish to see the different commitments made, translated into concrete action. He said the dialogue reactivated through the 13^th edition of the Commission, will be pursued by the ministries concerned with specific areas, competent technical services and follow –up mechanisms. Minister Eyebe Ayissi presented gifts to his Gabonese counterpart, Paul Toungui.

The 14^th edition of the Cameroon-Gabon Enlarged Joint Commission is scheduled for Libreville, Gabon in 2013. The Gabonese delegation proposed to host the next session of the Follow-up Committee to ensure the implementation of the recommendations of the Yaounde meeting before the end of 2011.