Just days before French President Emmanuel Macron’s arrival in Libreville, scheduled for November 23, Gabon is affirming its commitment to establishing a new era of cooperationbased on sovereignty, balance, and mutual respect.
Libreville is preparing to welcome the French president for a visit focused on renewed cooperation.
This initiative comes at a time when Gabon is emphasising sovereignty and balance as the foundations of its foreign relations.
For Gabonese authorities, the goal is no longer to perpetuate models inherited from the past, but to define a partnership based on specific interests and shared priorities.
Three pillars structure this approach: sovereignty, balance, and mutual respect.
Paris sees this evolution as an opportunity to place bilateral exchanges within a more transparent framework, in line with current challenges.
Talks are expected to cover several strategic areas: environmental protection, economic recovery, regional security, energy transition, and institutional strengthening. This repositioning is seen as a possible model for redefining France’s relations with other African capitals, at a time when many states are reaffirming their diplomatic autonomy.
Libreville, however, reiterates its position: openness to international partners, but rejection of any form of interference. Macron’s visit could thus mark the beginning of a new cycle, based on more balanced cooperation and geared towards concrete results.
The long-standing and regularly reassessed ties between France and Gabon also remain on a solid economic foundation. According to official French data, some 92 French companies are active in Gabon, representing nearly 14,000 jobs and a turnover of around €3 billion.
In 2023, French exports to Gabon reached approximately €588 million, while imports, dominated by hydrocarbons and timber, vary considerably depending on the statistical criteria used. At the end of 2024, France remained one of the country’s main suppliers, with an estimated market share of 16 percent in the fourth quarter, despite increasing competition from Asian partners.
Furthermore, the Gabon-France Economic Forum in May 2024 facilitated the mobilisation of nearly 739 billion CFA francs (approximately €1.1 billion) for priority infrastructure projects.
DM/ac/fss/as/APA