Paul Biya, Cameroon's president left Yaoundé on July 26th for St. Petersburg, where the second Russia-Africa summit is being held. The press release from the Office of the President of the Republic recalls that Paul Biya is responding to an invitation from his counterpart Vladimir Putin. "Cameroon and Russia enjoy cordial relations which have always been marked by a broad convergence of views on issues of common interest," the official press release states.
"The opportunities offered by this second summit through the Economic and Humanitarian Forum will enable African experts and specialists to develop a frank and constructive dialogue with Russia with a view to an equitable and mutually beneficial partnership," the same document adds, underlining the importance of that summit.
The Presidency of the Republic is convinced that during this summit, Paul Biya and Vladimir Putin will explore new avenues to strengthen their bilateral cooperation.
This second summit is being held from July 27 to 28 in the city of Saint Petersburg, in an international environment marked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This week, the Kremlin denounced pressure from the United States and Europe (Ukraine's allies) on African Heads of state.
"Virtually all African states have been subjected to unprecedented pressure from the U.S., and French embassies on the ground have not been sleeping either along with other Western missions who are also trying to do their bit to prevent this summit from taking place," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
"Faithful to the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other States and, above all, to the principle of non-alignment, Cameroon not only hopes that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine will be resolved through dialogue but also expresses the hope that this conflict will be resolved quickly,” Cameroon indicates.
As a reminder, the first Russia-Africa summit was held in Sochi in October 2019. Paul Biya was represented by Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute.
Michel Ange Nga
