President and Prime Minister of Cape Verde Meets with Wang Yi Respectively

On May 20, 2017, President Jorge Carlos Fonseca and Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva of Cape Verde respectively met with Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Praia.

Jorge Carlos Fonseca and Ulisses Correia e Silva said that China and Cape Verde are good friends. China provided significant support and assistance to Cape Verde after the independence of the country. Under the new circumstance, Cape Verde is willing to support and participate in the “Belt and Road” initiative, further deepen bilateral cooperation so as to forge Cape Verde into a strategic cooperative partner of China and the best friend of China in Africa. At present the focus of Cape Verde’s national development is the special maritime economic zone in Sao Vicente, the construction of secure cities and social residence projects. The country hopes that the Chinese side will give full play to its own advantages, positively participate in project construction to promote Cape Verde’s economic and social development. Regarding China as the most reliable partner of African countries, Cape Verde will continue to firmly support China’s efforts to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests, and play a more significant role in international affairs. Cape Verde agrees with China’s views and analysis on relevant international issues, and stands ready to maintain communication and cooperation with China on the reform of the Security Council and other issues.

Wang Yi said that China has always advocated equality among all the countries regardless the territorial sizes, and safeguarded righteous rights and common interests of all developing countries. Cape Verde is one of the most important cooperation partner of China in Africa, and traditional friendly relations between the two countries has been a model of mutual respect and equal treatment for big and small countries. The Chinese side is willing to take the implementation of the consensus reached by leaders of both countries as a mainline, seize the opportunities of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-Speaking Countries, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation with the country in five major areas covering agriculture, fishery and maritime economy, the development of special economic zone, tourism service, infrastructure construction and human resource development, so as to help Cape Verde give play to its advantages of geographical location and maritime resources, build a special economy for island country and realize independent and sustainable development. China welcomes Cape Verde to actively participate in the “Belt and Road” construction, especially the construction of the Maritime Silk Road, hoping to further deepen bilateral relations via relevant cooperation in a bid to benefit the two peoples.

(From the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China)