12 April 2001

Cape Verde: Lisbon Hails Lusophone Outlook

Praia, Cape Verde — Portuguese Foreign minister Jaime Gama has praised Cape Verde's overture towards nationals of other Portuguese-speaking countries.

Gama's acknowledgement came Wednesday in Praia at the end of a two-day official visit to the isle on the West African coast.

Cape Verde has in the past two years granted the status of "Portuguese-speaking citizen" to nationals of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP).

Gama said Portugal would announce an initiative along the same parallel during a CPLP ministerial meeting to be held in Sao Tome and Principe in June.

Cape Verde is so far the only Portuguese-speaking country whose Parliament has approved a law granting special status, including permanent residence, to citizens of CPLP member States.

Other countries of the community include Angola, Brazil, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal and Sao Tome and Principe.

See What Everyone is Watching

Copyright © 2001 Panafrican News Agency. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.