New foreign minister promises continuity in Cape Verde's foreign policy

This Thursday, the President of the Republic swore in the new Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Regional Integration, José Luís Livramento, and the new Secretary of State for Communities, Vanuza Teixeira Barbosa, at a ceremony held on Thursday morning, October 30, at the Presidency of the Republic, in Praia.

The new Minister for Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Regional Integration has replaced José Filomeno in the post, who is leaving for health reasons. José Luís Livramento will take on the role of Minister for the Communities and will have as his right-hand woman the new Secretary of State for the Communities, former MP Vanuza Barbosa, who replaces Myrian Vieira in the post.

On the occasion, José Filomeno was elected Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Regional Integration.

On the occasion, José Luís Livramento, who until his appointment was Cape Verde's ambassador to the USA, assured that Cape Verdean diplomacy would follow a line of continuity in relation to the work carried out so far, reinforcing the commitment to the principles and guidelines defined by the executive.

Questioned about a possible change of focus, given that the previous head of diplomacy came from Brussels and in his case was stationed in the United States, the minister rejected the idea.

"What I meant was that those posts (Brussels and Washington) are very important, and whoever is chosen to be there occupies a certain political ranking. That's all it means. There is continuity. We have a government program, a council of ministers. We have a prime minister who defines the guidelines and our own dynamic, which is what we expect to have in the coming months," he said.

With regard to the recent changes to Portugal's nationality law, the Prime Minister preferred not to comment in detail, stressing respect for the sovereignty of states.

"These are sovereign decisions of a sovereign country, which we will manage according to the impacts," he said, adding later that Cape Verde will continue to monitor the situation, evaluate and try to come up with the best solutions, "taking into account our interests, namely the Cape Verdean communities."

When asked about the personal touch he will bring to the new post, the minister acknowledged that each incumbent has their own style, but guaranteed that the basis of the work remains unchanged and that the priorities are set out in the government's program".

The new minister acknowledged that "in the coming period, bearing in mind that the international panorama, in particular the geopolitical situation, requires great care and intelligence in approaching this new international political environment."

The new minister also highlighted the experience he gained during his five years as ambassador to the United States, which he considers crucial for the new challenge.

"You know that Washington is the center of many political decisions. I followed it very carefully and continue to do so (...) it was a very good experience. It's been five years of observation and gains in terms of the global vision of world issues."

It's worth noting that these changes are taking place in a year in which parliamentary elections are coming up in 2026 and that a government reshuffle had already taken place in January 2025.

Balai News