1. Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Choi Jongmoon visited Cameroon from November 11 to 12 as the final destination of his tour to three Africa countries -- Uganda, Rwanda and Cameroon. During his visit, he held the 4^th Korea-Cameroon vice-ministerial policy consultation with H.E. Felix Mbayu, Minister Delegate to the Minister of External Relations in charge of Relations with the Commonwealth.

2. In the policy consultation, both sides appreciated the continuous development of bilateral relations between Korea and Cameroon, marking the 60^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations this year, and exchanged views on ways to strengthen substantive cooperation between the two countries in the fields of political affairs, economy, development, and cooperation on the international stage, as well as regional affairs.

o Particularly, Vice Minister Choi welcomed Cameroon’s decision to open its embassy in Seoul next year and said that the new embassy will work as a huge asset in strengthening the bilateral relations in diverse ways.

※ Sub-Saharan African countries (48 countries) have a total of 15 diplomatic missions in Korea, including those of Ghana, Nigeria, and South Africa. / The Embassy of Cameroon in Japan also represents the Cameroonian government in the Republic of Korea.

o Both sides hoped that the volume of trade and investment between the two countries would expand in the wake of the enforcement of the bilateral agreement for the promotion and protection of investments in April, 2018, and agreed to sign a Visa-waiver Agreement for holders of diplomatic and official passports to increase people-to-people exchanges.

o Minister Delegate Mbayu requested attention and support of the Korean government and companies to promote investment in core infrastructure and energy, considering Cameroon’s abundant natural resources and energy potentials.

※ Cameroon has the second largest hydro potential in Africa, as well as petroleum (210 million barrel in reserve / 55^th rank in the world), natural gas (estimated at 4.77 tcf, 48^th rank in the world), iron ore, etc. (Source : MINEE, Ministry of Water Resources and Energy of Cameroon)

o Minister Delegate Mbayu acknowledged that Korea’s ODA in the sectors of health, medical service, education, and e-government is contributing to Cameroon’s efforts to realize its national development plan ‘Vision 2035’* and also expressed appreciation for Korea’s support worth USD 920,000 between 2020 and 2021 for Cameroon’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

* Cameroon’s national development plan aimed at becoming an emerging industrial country by 2035

o Vice Minister Choi requested Cameroon’s support for Korea’s candidacy for the post of the next Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the 2030 World Expo in Busan, and asked for Cameroon’s participation and cooperation for the Seoul Peacekeeping Ministerial (12.7.-8.) and the 5th Korea-Africa Forum (12.9.-10.) to be held in December.

3. In his meeting with the Minister of State, Secretary General at the Presidency, H.E. Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, Vice Minister Choi again requested Cameroon’s support for Korea’s bids for the post of the next Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the 2030 World Expo in Busan.

4. Vice Minister Choi’s visit to Cameroon, the first by a Korean Vice Foreign Minister in ten years, served as an opportunity to further solidify substantive cooperation with Cameroon, playing a role as a gateway and economic hub in Midwest Africa*.

* Cameroon is a geopolitical hub connecting Chad, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Angola, and the Bank of the Central African States (BEAC) which issues CFA franc is located in Yaoundé, Cameroon.