Bilateral Meeting with H.E. Olavo Avelino Garcia Correia, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Cabo Verde

Praia - The Deputy Prime Minister welcomed the Director-General and expressed deep appreciation for the strong relations that exist between the two.

He thanked FAO for being a dependable, authentic and strong cooperation partner for Cabo Verde spanning almost five decades. He further stated that FAO has been consistent in its support, especially when the people of Cabo Verde faced several challenges over the years.

The Deputy Prime Minister stated that even though Cabo Verde has progressed in various areas, it continues to face immense water challenges and lacks capacity to finance projects that can help to mitigate them. He further expressed that there is a need to scale up water projects and requested financial support in this area. Finally, he highlighted the need for FAO and African countries to jointly explore how to effectively adapt and mitigate the impacts of the climate crisis.

The Director-General thanked the Deputy Prime Minister and reiterated that FAO will continue to assist Cabo Verde through various technical support programmes to accelerate agrifood systems transformation. He addressed the issue of water resource management, but also advised that there is a need to use renewable energy for agriculture purposes and to create a nexus between water and renewable energy to tackle water scarcity. He further stated that this would require huge investment and private sector involvement, which will pay off in the long term.

They pair agreed to continue working together to accelerate agrifood systems transformation in Cabo Verde and other small island developing states in Africa, and beyond.