Domingos Simões Pereira, Prime Minister of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, is visiting the neighbouring African state of Cape Verde this week in a bid to resume the co-operation programme that was suspended following the April 2012 coup.

This is the first official visit of Mr Simões Pereira to Cape Verde. The Prime Minister is accompanied by a delegation that includes several Ministers and State Secretaries. Aside from official meetings on Cape Verde’s main island, the delegation will also visit the islands of São Vicente and Boa Vista and meet with local businessmen.

“Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau have strong and excellent relations of friendship and cooperation and the visit of Simões Pereira to the archipelago allows the strengthening and enhancement of these co-operation ties, especially economic and business ties,” the Government of Cape Verde said in a statement.

The Guinean authorities seek to revive the cooperation programme launched in 2010, which outlined support for State reform in Guinea-Bissau, specifically in the public administration sector.

“This visit will be an opportunity for both countries to analyse co-operation in other areas, namely on Tourism, Air and Maritime Transport, Fisheries, Vocational Training and Higher Education, Science and Innovation,” said the Cape Verdean government.

“Cape Verde is available to support Guinea-Bissau on State reform and modernisation of Public Administration and Social Security.”