France commits to strengthen win-win ties with Cameroon.

The French government has also pledged to continue contributing to Cameroon’s economic development in several sectors. 

The pledge was made on Wednesday, March 25, 2026. This was during a press conference the Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and Attractiveness of France, Nicolas Forissier, granted reporters. 

The presser took place at the residence of the French Ambassador to Cameroon. It was attended by the French Ambassador to Cameroon, Sylvain Riquier, and other officials of the Embassy.

The visiting French Minister is in Cameroon to attend the 14th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organisation, WTO, which opened in Yaounde Thursday.

On the sidelines of the high-level meeting bringing together trade ministers from across the globe, Minister Forissier said he held “extremely fruitful” discussions with Cameroon’s Minister of Finance, Louis Paul Motaze, and the Minister of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development, Ousmane Alamine Mey.

He said discusions centered on economic development, the development of trade, as well as partnerships between both nations.

He told reporters that together with Cameroon's economy and finance ministers, they talked about how to strengthen the partnership that exists between Cameroon and France.

“We are two friendly countries. We have a long history. We have learned lessons from our history. We also have, above all, the will to move together towards the future, towards youths, and towards the dynamism of the African continent,” Minister Forissier stated. 

He described Cameroon as “the engine of the Central African Subregion”, that has over the years become an investment hub for France.

“The relationship between Cameroon and France is already dense. I want to remind you that the AFD has invested more than two billion Euros, [over one trillion FCFA], for decades in Cameroon. We have more than 200 French companies that are in Cameroon and generate over 20,000 jobs direct and indirect for the Cameroonian economy. We have numerous projects that have succeeded like the Nachtigal Hydro-electric dam,” he revealed.

Minister Forissier further mentioned that “the idea is to look at how we can both strengthen these partnerships, and how we can improve the business climate”. 

He added that French companies are committed on their part to cooperate with Cameroonian companies and participate in the development of the country.

“…we have every reason to develop our economic relationship…there is a need to keep, build and preserve multilateralism. That is to say the ability to exchange, to discuss, to find solutions together that keep us from clashes and rivalries to try to advance in a concrete way the economies of our two countries,” Minister Forissier said.

The visiting French member of government said he received firm instructions from French President, Emmanuel Macron, and by the Prime Minister, Sébastien Lecornu, on how “we must be in a logic of respect, of co-construction between our economies in the spirit of a win-win partnership”.

Hails ties with Cameroon

Minister Forissier also hailed the “good” relationship between Cameroon and France, revealing that moves are underway to further strengthen bilateral ties.

“I think with Cameroon, the relationship is good but still has to be reinforced…We want to go on, to go further. It is normal in relations to have ups and downs. I think with Cameroon, it will go more and more up and certainly not down. This is something we do not want,” Minister Forissier noted.

Quizzed on the shift in relationship between France and other African countries notably in the Sahel region, the Minister admitted that “sometimes you have tensions”.

He, however, categorically stated that “we do not have conflicts”. Minister Forissier said France and these nations are “finding solutions together”. 

“What we want, the position of France is to build partnerships that look at the future; to construct win-win partnerships. If there are tensions, if there are shifts, we both have with these countries and France to make efforts together to discuss and try to rebuild,” Minister Forissier said. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3743 of Friday March 27, 2026