French Cameroun dictator, Paul Biya has granted separate farewell audiences to two diplomats accredited to Yaounde who have come to the end of their mission to Cameroon. The outgoing Apostolic Nuncio, His Lordship Piero Pioppo, was the first received at State House. He was followed by the outgoing Russian Ambassador, Nicolay Ratsiborinsky.

Piero Pioppo who leaves Cameroon after seven and half years was dean of the Diplomatic corps. During the audience, Biya and Piero Pioppo examined the state of the longstanding and sometimes dodgy relations between Yaoundé and the Vatican.

One of the major diplomatic gains of Pioppo’s diplomatic sojourn in Cameroon was the signing of an accord on the legal statutes of the Roman Catholic Church between the Holy See and Cameroon in 2014.He also appreciated the fact the church in Cameroon has grown leading to the creation of new dioceses and appointments of new Bishops and Archbishops.

Nicolay Ratsiborinsky who was also vice dean of the diplomatic corps after six and half years was also at the Unity Palace.  The Russian diplomat thanked President Paul Biya for his constant support during his seven years stay in Cameroon.

Ambassador Nicolay Ratsiborinsky worked towards the reinforcement of economic and security cooperation especially in the fight against violent extremism. He said that rapprochement between Yaoundé and Moscow will be further reinforce in 2018, as President Paul BIYA plans to visit the Russian Federation.

Source: CRTV