The Cape Verdean Prime Minister, Ulisses Correia e Silva, considered Saturday, at NATO headquarters, that “good partners and good allies” are necessary for collective security.
It is natural, therefore, for us to reunite with NATO for political dialogue and cooperation in favor of defense and security for our country, for our interest and the contribution that Cape Verde can make to cooperative security”, he stated. the head of the Cape Verdean Government, cited by Lusa, in a statement in Brussels, after meeting with the organization’s secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg.
Ulisses Correia e Silva highlighted that Cape Verde has relations with European countries and the United States in the field of defense and security, particularly maritime security, and that most of these countries are members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. “Corporate maritime security is our priority due to our vast special economic zone”, he mentioned, pointing out the combat and prevention of transnational organized crime, drug trafficking, human trafficking and illegal fishing.
The Prime Minister also recalled that Cape Verde has the headquarters of the Multidimensional Maritime Coordination Center in zone G, whose mission is to contribute to maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea. In his statement, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the organization he heads is intensifying its cooperation with its partners who defend the same values and the international order.
“NATO also has partners in North Africa and we want to strengthen our cooperation with the African Union, on common challenges, including terrorism, climate change and the proliferation of small arms”, he promised. Stoltenberg revealed that during the meeting he discussed with the Cape Verdean Prime Minister ways to “further” develop cooperation with the African archipelago.
“Cape Verde and NATO share the same values of freedom, democracy and human rights. We have close relations with many allies, including Portugal, and last year they signed a memorandum of understanding with the United States of America to increase cooperation in the area of defense and maritime security”, he highlighted. And, he recalled that, in 2006, Cape Verde hosted the Steadfast Jaguar exercise, which involved more than 7,000 military personnel, and which tested the ability of the organization’s rapid response force to carry out missions anywhere and at any time.
Ulisses Correia e Silva and Jens Stoltenberg also addressed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with the secretary-general praising the archipelago’s “clear position”, including the vote against this aggression in the UN General Assembly. “Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, instability in the Middle East and continued acts of terrorism remind us that our security is not regional, but global. What happens in Europe matters to Africa and what happens in Africa matters to Europe”, concluded Stoltenberg.
During his presence in Brussels, the Cape Verdean Prime Minister also held a meeting with the high representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs.
Surveillance of coastal operations
Cape Verde’s Minister of Defense stated yesterday that her country has already started training technicians, including pilots, who will operate a plane in Coast Guard operations, scheduled to arrive in the country. “The process is going well. We have people to be trained and trained. I received information yesterday that the pilot course was carried out successfully”, Janine Lélis told journalists in Praia, on the sidelines of the opening of a captain promotion course.
In addition to the two pilots, the official said that an engineer and a maintenance technician have also returned to the country, after completing their respective training. “Our technicians are arriving and the procedure is now continuing with a strong partnership with civil aeronautics, so that we can be prepared to receive the aircraft”, he continued.
Asked about the dates for the plane’s arrival in the country, the minister was non-committal: “the essential thing is to have the equipment here and, above all, prepare to have the equipment so that, when it arrives, we can guarantee its operability and comply with the missions for which he is dedicated”. In September, the Government announced the arrival of the plane for surveillance, medical emergency, search and rescue, saying that it would reinforce Coast Guard operations.