ECONOMIC INTEGRATION AT INTERNATIONAL LEVEL

Cabo Verde is affiliated with a number of international economic cooperation organizations. The most important forms of international cooperation in economic integration are explained below.

ECOWAS

ECOWAS (CEDEAO in French), a regional economic bloc of 15 West African states, was formed in 1975. Cabo Verde became a member following its independence in 1976. This trading bloc has some 280 million consumers and a total GDP of $735 billion.

CPLP

CPLP, the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries, has members including Portugal, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Angola, Mozambique, São Tome and Principe, and Timori-Leste. The states cooperate at diplomatic level in economic relations, politics, education, science and defence.

EU mobility partnership
Cabo Verde, as an ultra-peripheral region (UPR) of the EU, was the first African state to conclude a special partnership with EU. This, in the context of the improved relations with the UPR, has resulted in more opportunities for Cabo Verde to gain access to the EU’s internal market and to participate in specific EU policy measures and programmes.