Portuguese European Parliament deputy José Ribeiro e Castro will visit Cape Verde in the near future, A Semana Online has learned from an official source. The politician has stood out as a firm support of Cape Verde’s intention to seek out a special partnership with the European Union.

Ribeiro e Castro’s visit to Cape Verde, the date for which has yet to be set, is expected to take place in the second half of 2007, and will be the result of an invitation from Cape Verdean authorities.

On more than one occasion, Ribeiro de Castro’s initiatives led high-level European Commission officials to make pronouncements on the issue of a special partnership between Praia and Brussels, which in part has made it an official matter in EU documents. The European lobby in favor of Cape Verde was also behind a recent European Commission decision to alter the status of its diplomatic representation in Praia, which for the past five years has been dependent on that in Dakar.

Alongside other European Parliament colleagues, Ribeiro e Castro is also working on promoting a forum on Cape Verde and the European Union, to take place in Brussels in the second half of this year or in the first trimester of 2008.

Source: A Semana