Bilateral meeting with H.E. José Maria Pereira Neves, President of the Republic of Cabo Verde

Rome - FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu, and H.E. José Maria Pereira Neves, President of the Republic of Cabo Verde, met today at FAO headquarters in Rome. 

The Director-General conveyed his appreciation to the President for the invitation to visit Cabo Verde as this would provide him with the opportunity to observe firsthand the work of FAO in the country, to build on the successes, and to realize how current challenges can be mitigated.

The President recognized and expressed his profound appreciation for the support that FAO continues to extend to Cabo Verde. He stated that due to FAO interventions Cabo Verde has graduated from being a least developed country and attributed this to FAO’s work in contributing to improving the lives of the people of Cabo Verde.

The President further congratulated the Director-General on his second term and looked forward to a renewed and strengthened resolve in mitigating agrifood system challenges facing the country, in particular by focusing on the Blue Economy as an important economic pillar in the country, without neglecting other key areas.

In this regard, the President informed of the problem of plastic pollution in the seas, as well as global warming, and noted that therefore the collaboration with FAO on the sustainable management of the oceans was key.

Finally, the President stated that Cabo Verde was strongly committed to the preservation of African heritage within the context of the African Union.

The Director-General recognized the spirit of resilience of the people of Cabo Verde. He commended efforts for the development of human resources capacity, and the potential of the government of Cabo Verde. He also thanked the President for being a great advocate for FAO.

They both recognized the pivotal role played by Deputy Director-General Maria Helena Semedo, a national of Cabo Verde, in her twenty-one years of outstanding professional service to FAO and wished her all the best in view of her imminent retirement.