Nhis first visit to the headquarters of the United Nations (UN), in New York, as Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Nuno Sampaio spoke to Lusa on the sidelines of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Forum on financing the development in which he participated.
In a panel on debt and financing, Nuno Sampaio referred to Portugal’s agreement with Cape Verde and São Tomé and Príncipe for relief with the exchange of bilateral debt for investments with environmental benefits of the same value, with the agreement signed with Cape Verde providing for 12 million of euros and that of São Tomé and Príncipe is 3.5 million euros.
“Portugal currently has a very interesting ongoing experience with Cape Verde of debt exchange, where the amortization of Cape Verde’s debt will be converted, for now, to the value of 12 million euros into a contribution to an environmental fund. This is a concrete way, but also sustainable and innovative, and it is with this type of solutions that we have to address the issue of financing”, defended the Secretary of State.
For Nuno Sampaio, “no country should be faced with the choice between paying its debt and being able to finance sustainable development, the fight against climate change and the transition to a digital world, which also poses enormous challenges to developing countries”.
“We have this experience with Cape Verde. In fact, there is also an agreement in the same direction with São Tomé and Príncipe, and we want to expand it and make Portugal’s contribution in these matters”, he assumed.
In addition to participating in the ECOSOC Forum on development financing under the theme “Towards the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4)”, the Secretary of State also participated in an extensive UN Security Council debate on sexual violence in conflicts and will speak today at an event to mark the 50th anniversary of the Carnation Revolution, organized by the Portuguese Mission to the UN.
“This is another happy coincidence: being able to associate the 50th anniversary of the 25th of April with this visit. And it is indeed a historic date, but we have to see it with a sense of the present and future”, he advocated, pointing out that in On Thursday, in Lisbon, “all the Heads of State of Portuguese-speaking African countries will be present”, with the “Lusophone world united around the celebration”.
“Because the 25th of April meant Democracy for Portugal, but it also influenced the independence and transition to democracy in several countries. And, in the world where we see, in so many parts, a reversal of civil liberties and political freedoms, it is important that renew themselves and affirm the values of the 25th of April”, he reinforced.
In a debate organized this week by UN News on the 50th anniversary of the Carnation Revolution, and with the presence of permanent ambassadors to the UN from Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Mozambique, Portugal and Timor-Leste, the diplomats were unanimous in pointing out how a one of the priorities of the Portuguese-speaking bloc is to elevate Portuguese to the level of official language of the UN.
Regarding this issue, Nuno Sampaio admitted that it was “an old objective” and that it “involves several issues, including financing”, but declared that, “certainly, the Portuguese Government will be committed to the utmost strength in that everything that is the affirmation of Portugal, culture and the Portuguese language in the world can be affirmed”.
Read Also: ADB President calls for an end to opaque loans that “undermine potential”
Download our free App.
Eighth consecutive year Consumer Choice for Online Press and elected product of the year 2024.
* Study by e Netsonda, Nov. and ten. 2023 product of the year – pt.com
Download our free App.
Eighth consecutive year Consumer Choice for Online Press and elected product of the year 2024.
* Study by e Netsonda, Nov. and ten. 2023 product of the year – pt.com
