Joint ministerial visit

As part of the 24th Partnership Commission between Cabo Verde and Luxembourg, three Luxembourgish ministers made a working visit to Cabo Verde on April 22 and 23, 2025: Xavier Bettel, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs (MFA); Lex Delles, Minister of the Economy, SME, Energy and Tourism (MECO); and Serge Wilmes, Minister of the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity (MECB).

This joint mission featured a rich programme including high-level political dialogue, bilateral meetings with ministerial counterparts, a Partnership Commission meeting, and visits to Luxembourg-funded projects.

The ministers held various bilateral talks with members of the Cape Verdean government, including:

• Filomeno Monteiro, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Regional Integration;
• Alexandre Monteiro, Minister for the Promotion of Investment and Business Development, focusing on vocational training in Cabo Verde and trade relations between the two countries;
• Gilberto Silva, Minister of Agriculture and Environment, regarding programmes related to climate action, water, and sanitation.

Beyond these bilateral meetings, the three ministers also paid courtesy visits to the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister, and the President of the National Assembly of Cabo Verde.

A key moment of the visit was the 24th Partnership Commission between Cabo Verde and Luxembourg, providing an opportunity to discuss the progress of the Indicative Cooperation Programme (ICP) “Development – Climate – Energy, ” which unites the support of the three Luxembourg ministries mentioned above: MFA, MECO, and MECB. Chaired by Xavier Bettel and his Cape Verdean counterpart, the meeting highlighted Luxembourg’s whole-of-government approach: a strong partnership where the expertise of multiple ministries comes together for maximum impact.

Minister Bettel emphasised the friendship and trust between the two countries, noting the presence of a permanent office in Cabo Verde for 25 years, shared values, and mutual trust. He also stressed the importance of solid cooperation in the face of today’s global challenges and reaffirmed the continued commitment to maintaining official development assistance at 1% of GNI. The ministers expressed their support for a renewed commitment from Luxembourg to Cabo Verde, with discussions on a new ICP set to begin soon.

The delegation visited several projects implemented by LuxDev on Santiago Island, in the areas of renewable energy, climate action, vocational training, and maritime security.

During field visits, the delegation first went to the Center for Renewable Energies and Industrial Maintenance (CERMI), where they explored classrooms and facilities. They also interacted with students – nearly a quarter of whom are young women – about their training and career prospects.

This was followed by a visit to the School of Hospitality and Tourism in Praia, a flagship project of Luxembourg-Cabo Verde cooperation. Established in 2011 with Luxembourg’s support, the school is now a benchmark for vocational training in the hospitality, restaurant, and tourism sectors in Cabo Verde.

At the end of the first day, the delegation visited the Achada Grande Frente Primary School, a beneficiary of the PROMOSAN project under the Water and sanitation programme. Sanitation facilities and kitchens have been rehabilitated there, and the school also benefits from support for school canteens.

On the second day, the ministerial delegation, accompanied by representatives from European Union's embassies in Cabo Verde, visited the site of the future pumped-storage power plant – a project aimed at advancing Santiago Island’s energy transition. Part of the European Union’s Global Gateway initiative, this project received strategic support from Luxembourg Cooperation, notably through funding for feasibility studies under the Energy transition support programme. 

The day concluded in Assomada with a meeting involving four local entrepreneurs supported by Pró Empresa through the Employment and employability programme. This meeting provided an opportunity for direct exchanges between Ministers Monteiro and Wilmes and the entrepreneurs on their journeys, the tangible benefits of the support received, and persistent challenges in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

On the second day of the visit, the Luxembourg delegation, along with H.E. Ambassador Jean-Marie Frentz, Georges Ternes, Director General for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs, and Manuel Tonnar, Director General of LuxDev, also visited the country office and Embassy teams in Praia. The occasion allowed the ministers to emphasise the importance of their daily work and extend heartfelt thanks for their dedication.