Deputy Foreign Ministry Kyriakos Gerontopoulos, standing in for EU High Representative Catherine Ashton, visited Cape Verde on 9 April to co-chair, with the country’s Foreign Minister, Jorge Borges, the EU-Cape Verde political dialogue.
The agenda for the talks included current political and economic developments in the EU, security and stability in Cape Verde, development cooperation – with emphasis on Cape Verde’s will to use renewable energy sources – the readmission Agreement and the Agreement on the liberalization of the fisheries permit regime, and trade and investments.
During the meeting, Mr. Gerontopoulos expressed his appreciation of the special partnership that exists between the European Union and Cape Verde.
Within the framework of his visit to Cape Verde, Mr. Gerontopoulos was received by President Jorge Carlos Fonseca, with whom he referred to, among other things, the common values and principles embraced by the EU and Cape Verde. He also met with Prime Minister Jose Maria Neves, whom he briefed on the strong global position of the Greek merchant fleet, expressing Greece’s readiness to provide know-how on issue of tourism and shipping cooperation.
Finally, Mr. Gerontopoulos met with Culture Minister Mario Lusio de Sousa Mendes, who expressed his admiration for Greece’s history and culture. The two ministers exchanged views on the role that can be played by cultural events in promoting understanding between peoples, and they looked at the potential for future cooperation between the two countries in this sector
April 13, 2014