The political empowerment of the people and lifting of the state of emergency are the milestones.
The Egyptian Ambassador to Cameroon, Ibrahim Moustafa Hafez, says Egyptians have reason to celebrate the first anniversary of the revolution that swept President Hosni Mubarak from power in 2011. Speaking on Wednesday January 25 in Yaounde at a dinner to mark the event, the Ambassador highlighted gains of the revolution to include the empowerment of the people to make their own free political choices, the recent election of a new multi-party democratic parliament and the lifting of the 31-year-old state of emergency.
He said all of this had laid the right foundation for the presidential election expected to conclude the transition process by June 2012. Egyptians, he noted, were now more attached to the values of peace, stability and democracy, given the strategic position of the country. He pledged the country’s determination to continue to work for the peace and stability of the Arab World and Gulf States. Egypt, he vowed, would not rest until all occupied Palestinian territories were handed back for just and lasting peace to reign in the region.
On relations with Cameroon, Ambassador Hafez announced the setting up of an office in the country by Egypt’s official carrier, Egypt Air by March 2012 and the beginning of direct flights between the two countries. He announced the holding, this year in Egypt, of the Joint Cameroon-Egypt Commission at which many bilateral points will be reviewed. He also announced a series of cultural events coming up in Egypt this year which Cameroonians are expected to attend. With a population of 85 million people, the Ambassador said Egypt was opened to foreign investments and facilitates the process with the existence of a one-stop shop.
The Minister Delegate in the Ministry of External Relations in Charge of Cooperation with the Islamic World, Adoum Gargoum, said despite the revolution, he expected bilateral relations between the two countries to grow. He expressed joy at the fact that Egypt was once more peaceful and stable, promising Cameroon’s support to the people and government. He promised Cameroon’s active participation at the forthcoming Joint Egypt-Cameroon Commission at which various areas of cooperation will be revisited. Concerning upcoming cultural events in Egypt this year, the Minister promised that Cameroon will be present like in the past.
