Cape Verde defends the need for good allies for collective security in NATO

Cape Verdean Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva said this Thursday at NATO that “good partners and good allies” are essential for collective security.

“It is therefore natural for us to rejoin NATO for political dialogue and cooperation in the interests of the defense and security of our country, for the sake of our interests and the contribution that Cape Verde can make to security through cooperation,” said the head of Cape Verde. The Verde government in a statement in Brussels after a meeting with the organization’s secretary general Jens Stoltenberg.

Ulisses Correia e Silva stressed that Cape Verde maintains relations with European countries and the United States in the field of defense and security, especially maritime security, and that most of these countries are members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

“Corporate maritime security is our priority in connection with our extensive special economic zone,” he said, noting the fight and prevention of transnational organized crime, drug trafficking, human trafficking and illegal fishing.

The Prime Minister also recalled that Cape Verde’s Zone G is home to the headquarters of the Multidisciplinary Maritime Coordination Center, whose mission is to promote maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea.

In a statement, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said his organization would intensify cooperation with its partners who defend the same values ​​and international order.

“NATO also has partners in North Africa and we want to strengthen our cooperation with the African Union on common issues including terrorism, climate change and small arms proliferation,” he promised.

Stoltenberg said that during the meeting he discussed with the Prime Minister of Cape Verde ways to develop “further” cooperation with the African archipelago.

“Cape Verde and NATO share the same values ​​of freedom, democracy and human rights. We have close relationships with many allies, including Portugal, and last year they signed a memorandum of understanding with the United States to expand cooperation in defense and maritime security,” he said.

And he recalled that in 2006, Cape Verde hosted Exercise Resilient Jaguar, which involved more than 7,000 troops and tested the ability of the organization’s rapid reaction forces to carry out missions anywhere, anytime.

Ulisses Correia e Silva and Jens Stoltenberg also addressed the issue of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with the secretary-general praising the archipelago’s “clear position”, including voting against the aggression in the UN General Assembly.

“Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, instability in the Middle East and ongoing terrorist attacks remind us that our security is not regional, but global. What happens in Europe matters for Africa, and what happens in Africa matters for Europe “, concluded Stoltenberg.

Ulisses Correia e Silva is in Brussels to attend the European Union’s (EU) Global Gateway Forum and also has meetings on the agenda with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the EU Vice-President and High Representative. foreign policy, Josep Borrell and others.