France and Gabon

Political relations

The relationship between Gabon and France is marked by close cooperation. Civil cooperation between France and Gabon is intense, in sectors including education, environment and scientific research.

Visits

• 27 November-1 December 2019: visit to Paris by Mr Francis Nkea Ndzigue, Minister for the Promotion of Good Governance, the Fight Against Corruption and the Evaluation of Public Policies, at the invitation of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE).
• 19 November 2019: visit to Paris by Mr Edgard Anicet Mboumbou Miyakou, Ministre d’État, Minister of the Interior and of Justice, Keeper of the Seals. Meeting with Mr Laurent Nuñez, Minister of State attached to the Minister of the Interior, on the sidelines of the Milipol Paris homeland security and safety show.
• 81 November 2019: meeting between Mr Alain-Claude Bilie-By-Nze, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Gabon, and his French counterpart, Mr Jean-Yves Le Drian, during the Dakar International Forum on Peace and Security in Africa.
• 12-13 November 2019: visit to Paris by Mr Alain-Claude Bilie-By-Nze, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Gabon, for the Paris Peace Forum.
• 30-31 October 2019: meeting in Monaco, during the Ministerial Conference of La Francophonie, between Mr Alain-Claude Bilie-By-Nze, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Gabon, and Mr Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, French Minister of State attached to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs.
• 11 November 2018: visit to Paris by Mr Régis Immongault, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Gabon. Meeting with his French counterpart, Mr Jean-Yves Le Drian.
• 12 October 2018, meeting in Yerevan, on the sidelines of the Francophonie Summit, between Mr Ali Bongo Ondimba, President of Gabon, and his French counterpart.
• 12 December 2017: visit to Paris by Mr Ali Bongo Ondimba, President of Gabon, for the One planet Summit.
• 24 March 2017: visit to Paris by the Prime Minister of Gabon, Mr Emmanuel Issoze Ngondet. Meeting with the French Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development, Mr Jean-Marc Ayrault.
• 2 June 2016: visit to Paris Mr by Emmanuel Issoze Ngondet, Minister of Foreign Affairs. Meeting with the French Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development, Mr Jean-Marc Ayrault.
• 15-16 May 2016: visit to Gabon by Mr Jean-Marie Le Guen, Minister of State for Relations with Parliament.
• 14-15 March 2016: visit to Gabon by Ms Ségolène Royal, Minister of the Environment, Energy and Marine Affairs, responsible for International Climate Relations.
• 14 September 2015: working visit by President Ali Bongo Ondimba to Paris. Meeting with the President of the French Republic.
• 28-29 August 2015: visit to Gabon by Ms Ségolène Royal, Minister of the Environment, Energy and Marine Affairs, responsible for International Climate Relations, and Ms Annick Girardin, Minister of State for Development and Francophonie, for the fourth New York Forum Africa Summit.
• 16 June 2015: visit by President Ali Bongo Ondimba to the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget. Meetings with Mr Manuel Valls, French Prime Minister, and Mr Jean-Yves Le Drian, French Minister of Defence.
• 5 February 2015: visit to Paris by Mr Emmanuel Issoze Ngondet, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Mr Régis Immongault, Minister of the Economy. Meeting with Ms Annick Girardin, Minister of State for Development and Francophonie.

Economic relations

With its 26% market share, France is Gabon’s leading supplier, ahead of Belgium and China. French imports concern the hydrocarbons (55% of imports), as well as wood and manganese.

Some 110 French companies are present in Gabon, providing 14,000 jobs and producing turnover estimated at €3.23 billion.

The Agence Française de Développement (AFD, French Development Agency) is active in Gabon, providing sovereign loans (infrastructure and social project funding) and a budget support loan (€225 million over the period 2017-2020).

Cultural, scientific and technical cooperation

To support the “Gabon Vert” programme, France signed a debt-swap agreement in 2008 (€60.4 million, interest included), allocated wholly to the sustainable management of forest ecosystems and development of the wood/forest sector economy. The agreement has funded a plan to stop elephant poaching and a satellite surveillance project developed by the Gabonese Agency of Space Studies and Observation.

In the area of cultural cooperation, the Institut Français in Gabon took over from the Libreville Saint-Exupéry French Cultural Centre in 2011. It works to promote French culture and develop partnerships with those working in the local art world.

Scientific and research cooperation conducted with Gabon mainly concerns the medical research sector, with support to the International Medical Research Centre of Franceville (CIRMF), a WHO regional reference centre for the diagnosis of viral haemorrhagic fevers.

Other cooperation

The French Elements in Gabon (EFG, 350 troops) are engaged in operational and technical military cooperation with all ECCAS countries.

^{Updated 8 January 2020}