On behalf of the President of the Republic of Cameroon, whom I have the great honour of representing here, on behalf of the Cameroonian people, on behalf of all my fellow Members of the National Assembly and on my own behalf, to yourself and to the entire delegation accompanying you, I would like first of all to extend a warm welcome to this sumptuous site which now houses the New Palace of the National Assembly of Cameroon, a gift without compensation from your great and beautiful country, the People’s Republic of China.
Then, it falls to me the honour, the heavy and pleasant mission, to present to you the cordial and warm greetings of the President of the Republic of Cameroon, His Excellency Mr. Paul BIYA, which you will be kind enough to convey to his Brother, Friend and Counterpart, the President of the People’s Republic of China, His Excellency Mr. XI JINPING.
Excellency Mr. Vice-President of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Assembly of China,
– Mr. President of the Senate; – Mr. Prime Minister, Head of Government;
– Mr. President of the Constitutional Council;
– Mr. First President of the Supreme Court;
– Mr. Attorney General at the said Court;
– Ladies and Gentlemen Members of the Government;
– Ladies and Gentlemen Parliamentarians, Senators and Deputies;
– Excellencies Ladies and Gentlemen Ambassadors and Representatives of International Organizations;
– Distinguished Members of Civil Society;
– Administrative, municipal, military and religious authorities gathered here;
– Their Majesties the Traditional Chiefs,
– Dear guests, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
The journey has been long. Five years for the construction of the complex that stands proudly before us. This journey has not been without pitfalls and other challenges like COVID-19. But the strong will and determination of the actors involved in the project has overcome all that. At the head of these actors, President Paul BIYA himself, whose involvement at all levels will have been most decisive not only for the progress of the works, but also for their completion.
So we are here today, in order to proceed with the inauguration in the company of the donor itself, the People’s Republic of China, of this imposing Palace, the now new seat of the National Assembly of Cameroon.
I have already heard that this Palace was the largest, the most beautiful, and of incomparable comfort in all of Africa. I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to those who designed and built it, in particular, the companies BCUG and SIPPR, their technical suffragans.
Our gratitude and congratulations to the Government of the Republic for its support, to the Technical Commission in charge of the implementation of the project, to the Construction Works Monitoring Committee, and finally to all those who, directly or indirectly, worked for the promotion and completion of this project. What we are celebrating today is also their commitment, their courage, their spirit of sacrifice and their patriotism for many of them.
– Mr. Vice-President of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Assembly of China;
Let us celebrate the actors on the ground, especially let us salute the great and long friendship that binds your country to ours. Undoubtedly, the new complex that we admire at the moment is the fruit, one more, of this rich and historic friendship. Five decades of common progress, between the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Cameroon. What achievements between the two States, what mutual understanding marked by dynamic cooperation, as well as dense, concrete, realistic and in a spirit of “Win-Win”. This is what I call a true friendship.
The New Palace of the National Assembly thus consolidates a friendship that in itself was already very solid. The excellence of these relations has been such that even the successive crises that have shaken Cameroon in recent decades have not been able to shake the foundations of this friendship. On the contrary, against all odds, China has been constantly present alongside Cameroon, tirelessly continuing the work of building an ever-fruitful cooperation.
Mr. Vice-President, please be thanked and accept here, through my voice, the testimony of the recognition of the entire Cameroonian people, the recognition of the elected officials who will now occupy this jewel and that of the highest authorities of the Republic headed by His Excellency Mr. Paul BIYA, President of the Republic, Head of State. Thank you, thank you a thousand times,
– Mr. Vice-President,
Yes! The best is certainly the future. We have faith in this future. We have faith and trust in our leaders, Their Excellencies Mr. XI JINPING and Paul BIYA. Two great minds that met. Two men who love peace, and are concerned about development, social cohesion, and the well-being of the populations of their respective countries. They are the guarantors of the integrity of their States, of the territories that they want to be ONE AND INDIVISIBLE. One China and one Cameroon, STATES IN THEIR SOVEREIGNTY.
This is a convergence of policies and ideals that contribute to building more and more each day, this mutual understanding that I mentioned earlier.
– Honorable Deputies and dear Colleagues;
Here is your new Palace of the National Assembly. Your Temple, the temple of the Law and Control of Government Action. Eldest son of the current seven-year term, this jewel constitutes, for this purpose, a certain opportunity for the Policy of Great Opportunities driven by His Excellency Mr. Paul BIYA. Make good use of it, you elected representatives of the tenth legislature. May the legislatures that will succeed one another do the same, to perpetuate this important achievement that consolidates more than ever, the great and long friendship between the Chinese and Cameroonian peoples, the long friendship between our leaders, Presidents Xi JINPING and Paul BIYA.
– Mr. Vice-President
Speech is golden, as they say. In this exceptional circumstance, words fail us to express our emotion, recognition, and gratitude. Once again, thank you a thousand times.
– Long live the People’s Republic of China and its Illustrious Leader, His Excellency Mr. XI JINPING;
– Long live His Excellency Mr. Paul Biya, President of the Republic, Head of State
– Long live the friendship between the Chinese and Cameroonian peoples,
And long live the cooperation between our two countries-
Thank you
Inauguration of the New National Assembly Building: Full Speech by Cavaye Yéguié Djibri
