Cameroon’s Minister of Economy, Planning and Regional Development, Louis Paul Motaze, is expected to travel to China for negotiations that could give China full authority to construct the West African nation’s ultramodern deep seaport in Kribi, Motaze’s communication officer said Monday.
“During [Motaze's] visit to China, clearer decisions would be made to seal the deal,” Jean Atangana told Dow Jones Newswires Monday.
Earlier Monday, China’s Vice Minister of Transport Gao Hongfeng said his government wants to construct the port in Kribi, state-run Cameroon Radio Television reported.
“We aim to carry out this project with the government of Cameroon,” Hongfeng said. “China wants to share her experience in this domain with Cameroon.”
Friday, Hongfeng held talks with Paul Motaze and the pair later visited the port site.
Located some 300 kilometers south of Yaounde, the Kribi deep seaport, estimated to cost some 500 billion CFA francs [$980 million], is crucial for shipment of Cameroon’s iron ore, alumina and other minerals. It will also serve as access for commodities in the country and neighboring Chad and the Central African Republic, all landlocked nations that depend on Cameroon for exports and imports.
French construction firm Razel won a contract to prepare the port site, and began the job in December.
(http://www.dredgingtoday.com/2011/01/11/cameroon-plan-for-ultramodern-deep-seaport-in-kribi-moves-ahead)
Posted on Jan 11th, 2011 (Website China Cameroon Ltd)
