Africa-Press – Cape verde. The Prime Minister highlighted the signing of 30 cooperation agreements with Portugal, emphasizing the increase in the Climate and Environmental Fund, which will increase from 12.5 million euros to 42.5 million euros, as an “important milestone” of the Bilateral Summit.
In statements to the press, Ulisses Correia e Silva spoke of the 7th Bilateral Summit between Portugal and Cape Verde, which began on Monday afternoon, the 27th, in Lisbon, with ministerial meetings, behind closed doors, and which ends today with the signing of these three dozen protocols in different areas, after the plenary meeting of the event.
“The increase in the contribution to the Climate and Environmental Fund, which goes from 12.5 million euros for the current one to 42.5 million euros, is a significant increase and means resources for us to apply in investments in renewable energy, in the mobilisation of water associated with renewable energy and creates investment opportunities for the Portuguese and Cape Verdean private sector”, stated the head of the Cape Verdean Government.
Ulisses Correia e Silva also highlighted the creation of a credit line of 100 million euros, aimed at boosting investments in strategic areas such as renewable energy, digital economy, blue economy and tourism, and this line may be associated with sovereign guarantees, facilitating access to financing for Portuguese and Cape Verdean entrepreneurs.
“We hope that this will be a landmark summit, firstly in relation to the agreements that we will sign, which are 30 bilateral cooperation agreements, which have a major impact on our priorities in Cape Verde and the priorities of our partnership, which is very special with Portugal,” he said.
The cooperation programme includes projects in a range of areas, such as health, justice, defence, civil protection and security.
According to the Prime Minister, one of the highlights will be the funding of centres of excellence in professional training in Cape Verde, with a contribution of 4 million euros from the Portuguese Government.
Regarding the Cape Verdean community in Portugal, the Prime Minister highlighted its good integration and inclusion in Portuguese society, praising the diversity of the migratory profile.
“We have workers, unskilled workers, businessmen, people who work in academia, university professors, highly qualified technicians and professionals in the health sector, we have people linked to culture, artists and leading sportspeople, so it is a very large migration,” he said.
Correia e Silva reinforced the commitment to labour mobility through mechanisms that guarantee benefits such as social security, medical assistance and salaries compatible with the level of training of Cape Verdean workers.
The summit brings together representatives from both countries, including eight Portuguese ministers and seven Cape Verdeans, and today’s plenary meeting will be co-chaired by the heads of government of Cape Verde, Ulisses Correia e Silva, and of Portugal, Luís Montenegro, at the Palácio das Necessidades, in Lisbon.
The summit aims to strengthen cooperation in all areas of government and define the main lines of development for the next two years.
It also aims to strengthen the strategic partnership between Cape Verde and Portugal, reflected in the Strategic Cooperation Programme (PEC) 2022–2026, which serves as a guide for bilateral relations.
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