MOZAMBIQUE/PORTUGAL: new strategic cooperation programme valued at 80 million euros

Portugal intends to strengthen its cooperation with Mozambique by investing over 80 million euros (about 85 million US dollars), an increase of 18 percent over the previous Strategic Cooperation programme, revealed the Portuguese Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Francisco André, on Monday in Maputo.

“We have decided to increase the capacity to invest in our strategic cooperation programme in key areas such as education, health, and defense”, said Gonçalves, speaking to the press after a meeting with the Mozambican Deputy Foreign Minister, Manuel Gonçalves.

The programme, which will be signed in July, will also strengthen experiences mainly in military training, taking into account the terrorism that has been plaguing parts of northern Cabo Delgado Province.

“The evaluation that is transmitted to us by both Mozambican and Portuguese parties is that it has been a cooperation project with many positive points”, said Gonçalves.

According to Andre, next July the two countries will hold their fifth Summit, where they will draw up a balance sheet on the Strategic Cooperation Programme.

At the Summit both countries should look to the future to assess the conditions for implementing the new strategic cooperation programme.

“In addition to Health, Education and Defense, the new programme will introduce the environment sector, which should respond to the current challenges of climate transition from manual to digital tools”, he said, stressing that the programme will also bring responses to the social and economic consequences of the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began in February.

(AIM)