Secretary Blinken and Cabo Verdean Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva Before Their Meeting

Cape Verde United States

But the work that you’ve done – and we’ve been proud to partner with you – for example, on law enforcement, on drug interdiction, seizing more than 30 tons of cocaine in recent years, has been very significant. And beyond that, in our own partnership, working with you on your coast guard, restoring vessels, as well as strong packages to support U.S.-built aircraft here in Cabo Verde that are so critical to maintaining maritime domain awareness, making sure that, for a country that is 99 percent sea, that you have a complete picture of what’s happening around you.

You also noted and I must underscore as well the global issues where we’ve been partnered. I have to thank you, thank you for deeply, for the strong, principled voice Cabo Verde has brought to international conversations, international discussions, international work at the United Nations and beyond. We see this in some of the very difficult issues that you’ve tackled from a place of principle, including Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

We’re also building partnerships that are founded in multilateral work in other critical ways that will really be to the benefit of Cabo Verdeans and Americans alike – our new Partnership for Atlantic Cooperation, where Cabo Verde is playing a leading role, and we are grateful for that – and then, as I mentioned as well, a strong voice around the world on climate, because you know better than so many the effects both now and potential when it comes to climate change. But building a blue economy – that too is I think a very powerful part of our partnership.

Prime Minister, you said something very powerful that I just want to repeat, and that is that your true source of wealth, of richness is in the peace, security, stability, and democracy that Cabo Verde enjoys. And we want to leverage those strengths to the benefit of Cabo Verdeans but also Americans and, in fact, the entire world. So it’s in that spirit that we’re here today – a spirit of partnership, a spirit of admiration for the work that you’ve done, and a determination to do even more together between the United States and Cabo Verde. We’re grateful for your welcome, your hospitality. And of course – I saved the best for last – congratulations on making the knockout round in the Africa Cup. We’ll be looking, we’ll be watching carefully, and – don’t tell anyone – we’re cheering for you. (Laughter.) So thank you so much.

PRIME MINISTER SILVA: Thank you.

SOURCE US Department of State