The outgoing Turkish Ambassador to Cameroon H.E AYSE SARAC was received in audience on the 17 of February 2021, by the Minister of SMESEH, H.E Achille BASSILEKIN III at his cabinet.
The audience was not just for goodbyes but equally an opportunity for both parties to revisit cooperation areas especially on the textile, leather, agro-food and renewable energy. Both personalities explored ways to establish strategic partnerships between Turkish and Cameroonian companies. This was in view of the upcoming Turkey-Africa Economic and Commercial Summit in April 2021.Turkey has a comparative advantage in the handicrafts sector and this has remained one of the country’s jewels over the years. Cameroonian economic operators therefore stand a chance to benefit a lot from its technical know-how. They will benefit from vocational training, skills and capacity development, which are very complementary and vital for the industrial development of the country.
Prospects for a meeting between the Ministry of Small and Medium Size Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicrafts and the Representative of the Turkish Cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA) were thus laid in this regard. It was also an occasion for the two personalities to discuss Turkey’s participation in the MINPMEESA Cooperation and Partnership Days scheduled for June 2021.
With the National Development Strategy for 2020-2030 in place, the Minister expressed the hope of bringing to the fore, Cameroonian SMEs in the area of textile, leather and renewable energy. This in effect, will generate more growth for the Cameroonian economy. He added that a lot of Cameroonian SMEs are in capacity “and we believe that through forthcoming events, we will be able to ensure that Cameroonian economic operators take full advantage of these opportunities”.
Having admitted with nostalgia that Cameroon has been her home for the past two years, the outgoing Ambassador remarked that her successor is very lucky, taking from her with an already existing partnership with the SME sector in Cameroon. She received a special gift from the Minister; the Reunification monument, symbol of Cameroon as a nation.