Audiences In Rome By Presidential Couple

After Sunday’s beatification ceremony in Rome, the President of the Republic and the First Lady spent most of yesterday receiving a number of personalities and delegations. President Biya, in the first audience held in the Bernini Hall of Rome’s Waldorf Astoria or the Roma Cavalieri, received Professor Vittorio Collizi, Scientific Director of the Chantal Biya International Reference Centre, a well-known figure in Cameroon for his association with the centre, located at the Melen neighbourhood in the national capital. After the 30-minute exchange, Professor Collizi told the press that he had discussed issues relating to further developing the scientific capacity of the Centre, by obtaining new partnership agreements with other renowned international research centres. He said the centre was gaining more reputation with each coming day as evidenced by the interest shown by the results obtained at the Reference centre.

Shortly before midday, a three-person delegation from the Sant’Egido community also called on the President. After spending some 45 minutes exchanging with the President of the Republic, the delegation leader, Professor Mario Girio told Cameroon Tribune that they had received the President’s encouragements to continue their development activities in Cameroon where they are active in the health sector with an AIDS research centre in Dschang, West Region. He said they also discussed issues related to crisis management resolution in Africa and received the president’s encouragement and support. The Sant’Egido community, a Catholic non-governmental organization present in 70 countries, began its activities in Cameroon in 1989. It is well known for its numerous successful efforts at mediation. It was under its aegis that peace was arrived at in Mozambique following years of civil war and which paved the way for a new political configuration in which several political parties are functioning normally.

In the early afternoon, the First Lady, on her part, received a delegation of Cameroonian Religious led by Reverend Sister Therese Martin Ngueme, from the Yaounde-based Congrégation des Filles de Marie. The four Sisters are all studying in Rome.

On the Head of State’s instructions, the Director of the Civil Cabinet Martin Belinga Eboutou also received a delegation of 16 members of the Cameroon Religious Group, the sole Cameroonian association recognized as an institution by the Holy See. The delegation was led by its current president, Rev. Father Jean Bertrand Etoundi, a priest of the Pallotine order currently studying in Rome.

The Presidential couple left Rome in the late afternoon.