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U.S.-Cameroon “Golden Jubilee” Friendship Week
Minrex/IRIC

July 11, 2007 – 14:00

Remarks by U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Richard W. Nelson

Your Excellency, the Minister of State,
Professors and students of IRIC,
Ladies and Gentlemen

Thank you for inviting me and my colleagues from the U.S. Embassy here today to help you discuss and celebrate 50 years of friendship and partnership between the United States and Cameroon.  And thank you for organizing a public event that gives us all an opportunity to talk about our past accomplishments and explore how we can continue to develop and improve our relationship in the future.  The press has a major responsibility to inform people about what we have achieved these last 50 years.  So I am very pleased they are here.

We at the Embassy are very proud of our joint accomplishments during the past 5o years, which we believe have been beneficial to both our peoples and which give us high hopes for a bright future for all Cameroonians.  We mark 50 years because it was in July 1957 that the United States opened the first diplomatic office in Cameroon, but of course our relationship of friendship goes back even farther.  We have worked closely in so many areas, including health, security, education, military assistance, trade and investment, rural development, culture, and even sports.

Today, our new Embassy sits on Rosa Parks Avenue, named by the Yaounde Urban Council for an American civil rights icon.  Our branch office in Douala just moved into a brand new facility.  These new offices demonstrate our commitment to Cameroon and our resolve to remain here and develop our ongoing friendship.

The Peace Corps came to Cameroon 45 years ago and has worked with Cameroonians in the areas of agriculture, education, fishing, farming, and community health.  In fact, just 3 weeks ago we unveiled a bust of President John F. Kennedy, founder of the Peace Corps, which will eventually be placed in downtown Yaounde.  Many of our Cameroonian friends were present on that day to celebrate with us the long friendship between the Peace Corps and its Cameroonian supporters and counterparts.

Thirty-five years ago we established two centers to study English, and opened several libraries for students, professors, journalists and legislators who are serious about learning more on democracy and journalism.  The libraries also provide resources that allow students to do research on emerging viruses and potential pandemics.  Educational exchanges are significant to our partnership because they allow for the creation of new and better ideas that can help enhance our collaborative relationship.

Last month, the US and Cameroon signed an agreement to formalize our joint cooperation on the prevention of HIV/AIDS, Avian Influenza, and other infectious diseases.  This agreement serves as another example of our continued cooperation and support for Cameroonian efforts to solve serious transnational problems.

Our two militaries are cooperating together to improve search-and-rescue missions, peacekeeping capabilities, military education and professionalism, and to build confidence in each other’s abilities.  We were proud to serve as a witness to the successful efforts of Cameroon and Nigeria to resolve the Bakassi dispute.  This stands as an example to other nations in Africa and around the world that, with patient diplomacy and statesmanship, disputes can be resolved peacefully.

We cooperate with the government and people of Cameroon on many public diplomacy programs.  One is our International Visitors Leadership Program, through which we send about 14 Cameroonians to the U.S. every year to learn about American culture and society and to interact with participants from around the world, thus creating a global network with experts in their particular field.  Another is the Fulbright study program, which allows students to study in the United States in fields that are beneficial to both Cameroonians and Americans.

Our range of association is very diverse and even includes working with Cameroon on both athletic and commercial fronts.  This year alone there are approximately 25 Cameroonians playing basketball at some of the largest American universities.  And as you may know, the winner of the recent Texas Marathon was a Cameroonian.

Commercially, the US serves as the Number 1 investor in Cameroon.  These investments have allowed for the creation of many jobs and have served to stimulate economic growth.  Last year, Cameroon reached the HIPC Completion Point, providing access to considerable funding for health, education and infrastructure.  If Cameroon can accelerate its pace of reform on the Millennium Challenge Account indicators, it stands to receive millions of dollars more in funding to address other structural problems.  This year, the American Business Association in Douala was transformed into the American Chamber of Commerce in Cameroon, which will open up new opportunities for local investment and provide more jobs for Cameroonians.

Like any friendship, the relationship between Cameroon and the United States has been a two-way street.  When a hurricane rendered homeless many residents of the American city of New Orleans, our Cameroonian friends responded quickly, sending their condolences and offers of support.  We were and are still truly appreciative of our friendship and the support that our Cameroonian friends showed during that tragic moment.

To highlight our joint cooperation, we launched, just last week, a 121 photo exhibit illustrating the full range of our partnership and friendship.  I want to commend our colleagues from the Ministry of External Relations for their collaboration in this project.

From educational efforts to commercial investing and even from military support to the basketball court, the US and Cameroon have many great, joint accomplishments to be proud of over the past 50 years.  I just mentioned a few ways that our partnership has developed, and in the coming months we will jointly discuss the path of our continuing relationship.  We will discuss such issues as how we can strengthen democratic institutions, improve health delivery and access to medication, eliminate corruption, and improve educational opportunities, just to name a few.  We look forward to our ongoing relationship with Cameroon as we jointly work not only to achieve the common goals of our own two nations, but also to help build a better world for tomorrow.

Thank you for your kind attention.