Cape Verde and Japan signed, this Thursday (18), in the city of Praia, a financial cooperation agreement worth approximately 834,000 euros, aimed at strengthening food assistance to the archipelago.
“In a world marked by rising prices and the lasting effects of climate change, ensuring food security is an urgent challenge for all countries.” The two countries, “both island nations surrounded by the ocean, share a common experience: we know both the benefits and the challenges that nature can bring,” said the Japanese ambassador to Cape Verde, Akamatsu Takeshi, during the ceremony in the city of Praia.
The agreement was signed by the Japanese ambassador and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Regional Integration, José Luís Livramento Brito.
The diplomat also stated that Japanese food assistance, provided almost annually since 1980, “demonstrates the strength and durability of the friendship” between Cape Verde and Japan.
Under this cooperation, Japan donated, in 2024, around 968 tonnes of rice, which arrived in the country on two ships between October and November.
The new donation now announced includes around 991 tonnes of rice, intended to support Cape Verdean families and meet the population’s nutritional needs.
According to the Japanese ambassador, this assistance goes beyond an immediate response to food shortages, as, through projects financed by the Counterpart Fund, it also contributes to structural objectives such as the eradication of extreme poverty and the promotion of social inclusion.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Luís Livramento Brito, stated that the programme is part of a “solid, predictable and long-standing” cooperation, which has contributed in a concrete way to strengthening food security and the economic resilience of Cape Verde, in an international context marked by multiple global challenges.
The minister added that this agreement complements other ongoing structural projects between the two countries, namely in the areas of water, health, fisheries and human development, reflecting an increasingly diversified partnership, oriented towards results and aligned with national priorities.
The Asian country has regularly contributed to mitigating the risks of food insecurity, having sent, in September 2023, 617 tonnes of wheat flour to the archipelago, a quantity later reinforced with a further 500 tonnes in August this year, as part of a first shipment of a total of 875 tonnes agreed.
Source: Lusa
