This was the bone of contention from an audience granted, on September 6, 2023 in Yaoundé, to the Russian Ambassador to Cameroon, Anatoly Bashkin, by the Minister of Youth and Civic Education, Mounouna Foutsou.
The Minister of Youth and Civic Education, Mounouna Foutsou, received in audience, the Ambassador of the Russian Federation in Cameroon, Anatoly Bashkin.
As part of strengthening ties, encouraging a revitalization of relations between Cameroon and Russia, the Minister's host made a pertinent statement concerning the collaboration between these two countries.
“President Vladimir Putin has decided to organize, in 2024, a World Youth Festival which will bring together more than 20,000 participants from several countries. The Cameroonian delegation which is expected, should consist of around thirty participants".
"The festival which is expected to hold from March 1 to 7, will be a question of discussing subjects that concern young people, and from March 10 to 17, young people will have the opportunity to visit nearly thirty cities to see how young people in Russia work, study, among other things,” announced Anatoly Bashkin.
“The leadership of my country has recently been paying more attention to education and other subjects directly linked to youth, since it constitutes the future. In this approach, he makes it known that it is a question for Russia of “working with foreign partners among which Cameroon”, added the Russian ambassador.
Feedback on the participation of the President of the Republic, Paul Biya in the last Russia – Africa Summit in Saint-Petersburg was discussed, the participation in the 2nd Russia – Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum and the participation of the Secretary General (representing Minjec) at the 2nd World Youth Summit in Kazan.
Also, the new cultural advisor at the Russian Embassy, Charlotte Ndong Toung, said that the Embassy's cultural services are mainly oriented towards youth. It is therefore logical that, according to her, the next festival, dedicated to culture, will also be for youth.
Concerning questions of cooperation, “the teams are working to align themselves with new directions, which go in the direction of intensifying collaboration”, she said. Furthermore, she recommends that young Cameroonians can have more platforms for exchanges with young people in Russia and vice versa.
Fadimatou Iyawa Ousmanou, national president of the National Youth Council of Cameroon (CNJC) also expressed her joy to know that Cameroonian youth are once again invited to the world youth festival.
She expressed the wish for a strengthening of relations between the CNJC and the Russian Youth Federation. Avenues for collaboration to be explored may concern the strengthening of Patriotic Rearmament and the development of volunteering.
The Ambassador underlined that he and his team are “eager to see the impact that the next visit will have on the quality of exchanges between the two countries”. In the meantime, he said “the doors of the embassy are open to those responsible to MINJEC who is charged to improved the lives of youths in Cameroon.
Communication Unit, MINJEC