The United Kingdom, 9th June 2021 – In a short, early afternoon ceremony at Saint Kitts and Nevis High Commission in London, His Excellency, High Commissioner Kevin M. Isaac, joined by his counterpart, His Excellency Mr. Albert NJOTEH FOTABANG, High Commissioner of the Republic of Cameroon, signed a joint communique formalizing diplomatic relations between their two countries.
This is well in keeping the Government’s strategic commitment to deepen existing relations and develop further relationships with countries across the African continent. Although the prevalence of the COVID-19 pandemic has limited interactions, the Government continues to study ways post COVID-19, to best exploit the obvious synergies that come from bilateral and multilateral engagements with African countries.
Both diplomats who collaborate closely within the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Board of Governors discussed opportunities for alliance in the United Kingdom, as well as how to forge partnerships, promote opportunities for cultural exchanges, and enhance support for small states in international organizations, more than just the United Nations. During the discussion, High Commissioner Isaac and Ambassador Fotabang agreed to work to secure an agreement on reciprocal visa exemption that would allow for visa-free access to each other’s territory.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Honourable Mark A. G. Brantley, a proponent of increased Africa-Caribbean partnership, praised the signing ceremony as an important opportunity to build people-to-people linkages and government-to-government cooperation. Ambassador Fotabang echoed the sentiments of High Commissioner Isaac that our Commonwealth sisters and brothers must work together to address common challenges, especially post COVID-19, to address issues of vaccine equity, climate change and economic resilience.
The Republic of Cameroon, a country of approximately 25 million people, is located in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon’s market-based, diversified economy features oil and gas, timber, aluminium, agriculture, mining and the service sector.
