Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Expresso das Ilhas
Published on 2024-03-12 18:37:30
Cape Verde and Brazil want to increase their commercial relations and are calling for the resumption of maritime and air connections, which were interrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic, the officials of the two countries announced at the end of the fourth political consultation meeting.
“We want to foster economic and business relations with Brazil, there is potential, and we will have to work a little more on connectivity, whether it be maritime or air,” said the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Miryan Vieira, at the end of the meeting that took place in Praia.
The Secretary for Africa and the Middle East at the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Carlos Duarte, said that due to its geostrategic position, Cape Verde also provides his country with “opportunities” for access to the African market.
TACV, which already flies to Portugal, France, and Italy, intends to resume connections with Brazil after the suspension during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Brazil is a developing country that often has aspirations and capacities similar and complementary to Cape Verde, and we are very interested in deepening them,” stated the diplomat.
Carlos Duarte mentioned that Brazilian companies “are interested in participating more” in the Cape Verde market through investments and trade, at a time when the Government is currently carrying out a privatization program of nine state-owned companies, which aims to finish by 2025.
“These are economic opportunities that the Brazilian private sector should seriously consider,” challenged the Brazilian government spokesperson, who also pointed out tourism and food exports as areas that the two countries can boost.
However, he emphasized the need for a greater understanding of these opportunities, as well as the creation of government instruments for investment protection.
The bilateral forum held today in Praia served as a platform for sharing information and assessing the cooperation actions between the two countries, which already take place in areas such as technical training, humanitarian assistance, defense, health, and education.
The two countries are working on an Integrated Development Plan (IDP) that is expected to be signed later this year and cover areas such as climate change and environmental preservation, health, tourism, and entrepreneurship.
“The private sector will also play an important role in making this new framework of cooperation with Brazil a reality,” reinforced Miryan Vieira, considering that thus, the two countries will be giving a “new look” to their bilateral relations.
On the agenda of the four-hour meeting were also discussions about the political and socio-economic situation in their respective countries, as well as international geopolitics.
The last consultation between the two countries took place in Praia in 2015, following the initial two meetings in 2009 and 2012.
Read the original article(Portuguese) on Expresso das Ilhas
