The Speaker of the National Assembly, the Right Honourable Theodore Datouo, on 8 July 2026 received in audience Mr. Pierre-André Page, President of the Swiss National Council, who is in the country to take part in the 51st Session of the Assemblée Parlementaire de la Francophonie (APF), currently underway in Yaounde.
The Swiss dignitary was accompanied to the National Assembly by the Ambassador of Switzerland to Cameroon, Her Excellency Natalie Kohli. At the close of the audience, President Page expressed satisfaction with the quality of the exchange he had with the Speaker.
Rolling out the customary honours, the Right Honourable Theodore Datouo welcomed his guest to Cameroon, and did not fail to extend congratulations to Switzerland on its recent performance at the ongoing FIFA World Cup.
Beyond the pleasantries, the conversation turned to matters of shared heritage. Both leaders paused to honour the memory of Tilo Frey, the first woman of Swiss and Cameroonian parentage to sit in the Swiss Parliament, a figure both men agreed continues to embody the deep-rooted friendship binding the two nations.
On the bilateral front, discussions touched on the progress of the new Swiss Embassy building currently under construction in Yaounde, seen as a tangible marker of the strength of ties between Berne and Yaounde. Agriculture featured prominently on the agenda, with both sides agreeing that the transformation of local produce and the modernisation of Cameroon’s agricultural sector stand out as priority areas for cooperation — an orientation expected to boost farmers’ incomes while adding value to national output.
On the parliamentary front, the two leaders were unanimous on the need to draw their respective institutions closer. Mention was made of the forthcoming visit of the Cameroon-Switzerland Parliamentary Friendship Group to Switzerland, as well as the value of working hand-in-hand with the Swiss Parliament’s own Switzerland-Africa Friendship Group. The two also took time to compare notes on the respective mandates and workings of the National Assembly of Cameroon and the Swiss National Council, an exercise both described as useful groundwork for future cooperation.
Before taking leave, President Pierre-André Page formally invited the Right Honourable Theodore Datouo to pay a visit to Switzerland before the year runs out.
The audience closed with a customary exchange of gifts. Of particular significance were symbolic items commemorating Tilo Frey, which the Swiss delegation presented for safekeeping at the Cameroon Parliament Museum. Also present at the audience was the Honourable Joshua Osih, President of the Cameroon-Switzerland Parliamentary Friendship Group.
