The courtesy and farewell visit granted by Minister Achille BASSILEKIN III on the 27th of December 2021 to H.E. Mr. Medhat Mohamed KAMEL ELMELIGY, outgoing Ambassador of Egypt to Cameroon was a forum that revived cooperation ties between MINPMEESA and Egypt.
In an exchange between both parties during the courtesy and farewell meeting, the Egyptian diplomat expressed his gratitude for the excellent bilateral cooperation both structures have carried out since his arrival to Cameroon on December 2017. Besides the courtesy pleasantries, the outgoing Egyptian boss used this opportunity to propose replicable Egyptian projects such as “les familles productives” which has existed for over 2 decades in Egypt. Going deeper into the project, he explained that this consist of empowering citizens to undertake micro projects such mat weavings, fisheries and other artisanal activities especially for women and persons living with disabilities in the rural areas that are unable to grab jobs. As such, the government’s role is to make available the needed equipment for these micro projects as the government will be required to purchase the final products and later sell to the general public.
He as well stated that Egyptian experts are ever ready to elaborate as well as enlighten Cameroonian stakeholders on the concept, structuration, financial and material needs of the project to the development of the SME sector in Cameroon as is the case of Egypt. H.E. Medhat Mohamed KAMEL ELMELIGY ended by expressing hopes that such cooperation will continue to benefit Cameroonian SMEs as well as increase their productivity and quality.
While stating that he received the news of H.E. Medhat Mohamed KAMEL ELMELIGY’s end of stay in Cameroon with a heavy heart, Minister Achille BASSILEKIN III on his part thanked him for the incessant partnership between both countries especially in the domain of SMEs. He went further to concur with the “les famille productive” project outlined by the Egyptian boss. To him, the transversal project will go a long way to boost Cameroon’s economy, provide employment especially to the female gender and persons living with disabilities given that it falls within the context of Social economy. He appreciated the offer to provide an Egyptian expert in the context of the project but however stated that support and follow-up mechanisms as well as every stakes regarding this project should be clearly outlined. Consequently, Minister Achille BASSILEKIN III did not fail to mention them administrative procedures in line with the above will be formulated and forwarded to the competent Egyptian authorities.
Besides the above project, the audience also served as an opportunity for Minister Achille BASSILEKIN III to propose further cooperation areas that could be explored such as the field of innovative technology. He explained that Cameroon can benefit from Egypt’s technological transfer given the level of its technological advancement. He also expressed his desire for Cameroonian SMEs to benefit from the expertise of the Egyptian Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency. Reacting to this, H.E. Medhat Mohamed KAMEL ELMELIGY assured MINPMEESA that there is hope for Cameroonian SMEs as these proposals will be made known to his successor.
It should be recalled that H.E. Medhat Mohamed KAMEL ELMELIGY is said to leave Cameroon after the upcoming ANC games given that he wishes to be amongst the spectators during the Egyptian football matches.