Central African leaders met Saturday in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC), a regional bloc, in hopes of highlighting past achievements and defining a roadmap for strengthening regional integration, while focusing on economic challenges and growth opportunities.
When CEMAC was created in 1994, its members — Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo and Chad — aimed to enhance economic development through regional integration. Saturday’s event also offered the leaders an opportunity to consider how regional integration and development can be achieved under the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Since its launch in 2013, the BRI has been welcomed by all CEMAC countries as a model for cooperation with China in infrastructure development and socioeconomic transformation, said Elvis Ngolle Ngolle, international relations expert and former cabinet member of the Cameroonian government.
“Once you arrive in the CEMAC sub-region, you will see plenty of Chinese company investment projects,” said Ngolle.
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