EAM Jaishankar greets peopel of Cameroon on country's independence day

ANI May 20, 2025 245 views

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar extended warm greetings to Cameroon on its National Day, emphasizing strong bilateral ties. India recently sent 1,000 metric tonnes of food assistance to Cameroon, reinforcing its commitment to the Global South. Bilateral trade between the two nations has doubled since 2018, reaching $1.1 billion in 2022-23. India also supports Cameroon through capacity-building programs and scholarships.

"Greetings to FM Lejeune Mbella Mbella, the Government and the people of Cameroon on their National Day. Confident that our cooperation will continue to grow stronger." – S Jaishankar
New Delhi, May 20: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday expressed his greetings to Cameroon Foreign Minister Lejeune Mbella Mbella on their National Day.

Key Points

1

Jaishankar reaffirms India-Cameroon partnership

2

India sent 1000MT rice as food aid to Cameroon

3

Bilateral trade doubled to $1.1B in 2022-23

4

India supports Cameroon with training and scholarships

Jaishankar expressed his confidence that the cooperation between both the countries will continue to grow stronger.

In a post on X, he said, "Greetings to FM Lejeune Mbella Mbella, the Government and the people of Cameroon on their National Day. Confident that our cooperation will continue to grow stronger."

https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1924706421440233761

Jaishankar shared an image of the 1,000 metric tonnes of food assistance and medicines that India had earlier sent to Cameroon.

India on April 9 sent a consignment of 1,000 MT of rice to Cameroon for food grain assistance. Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal, said the effort is in the spirit of a committed partnership with the Global South.

In a post on X, Jaiswal said, "India: A committed partner to the Global South. India sends food-grain assistance for the people of Cameroon. A consignment of 1000MT Rice departed today from Nhava Sheva Port to Cameroon."

https://x.com/MEAIndia/status/1909871162248536568

India and Cameroon enjoy warm and friendly relations dating back to the pre-independence era of Cameroon. As per MEA, the bilateral relations have received further impetus with the opening of India's resident mission in Yaounde in 2019.

Bilateral trade has been growing steadily, reaching USD 1.1 billion during FY 2022-23 from USD 523 million in 2018-19. As per the MEA, India extended two Lines of Credit (LoCs) worth USD 79.65 million to the Republic of Cameroon for Rice, Maize, and Cassava plantation projects.

India has also been supporting Cameroon in capacity building by providing training to Cameroon officials in various areas under ITEC and scholarships/ fellowships under ICCR.

The food security crisis in Cameroon is due to several factors, mainly the reduced availability and accessibility of stocks of staple products and livestock for milk and meat. According to the World Bank, nearly a quarter of a million Cameroonians are facing severe or elevated food insecurity.

Reader Comments

R
Rajesh K.
It's heartwarming to see India extending help to African nations like Cameroon 🇮🇳🤝🇨🇲. Our food and medicine assistance shows the true spirit of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' (the world is one family). More power to such humanitarian initiatives!
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Priya M.
While I appreciate our foreign aid, I hope we're also focusing enough on food security at home first. Many Indian farmers are struggling too. The balance between global responsibility and domestic needs is important.
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Amit S.
Great to see our trade with Cameroon crossing $1 billion! Africa is the future market and we're building strong ties early. The rice plantation projects through LoCs are smart - helps them become self-sufficient in the long run. #MakeInIndia can find new markets there.
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Sunita R.
Dr. Jaishankar's diplomatic outreach is commendable. Small gestures like these national day greetings strengthen relationships. The resident mission in Yaounde since 2019 shows our long-term commitment to Africa. More cultural exchanges would be wonderful too!
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Vikram J.
The ITEC training programs for Cameroon officials are our soft power at work! When foreign officials train in India, they take back positive experiences that benefit us for decades. Hope we expand such capacity building initiatives.
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Neha P.
Cameroon may not be in our immediate neighborhood, but such global south partnerships are crucial in today's multipolar world. Smart diplomacy by MEA! Though I wish our media gave more coverage to these positive stories instead of just border tensions with neighbors.

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Tags:
Jaishankar Cameroon India-Cameroon relations Independence Day Global South Food aid