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PRAIA, Cape Verde, 

Jun 15, 2010 — Following is a press availability at the Cape Verde Ministry of Defense during a visit to Praia, Cape Verde, by U.S. Africa Command's civilian deputy Ambassador J. Anthony Holmes, June 14, 2010.

See related transcript: Holmes Meets with Reporters at Counter-narcotics and Maritime Security Interagency Operations Center, Cape Verde


(Remarks in Portuguese. Responds to media questions in Portuguese.)


AMBASSADOR J. ANTHONY HOLMES: It's my pleasure, as the deputy at the U.S. Africa Command for civil-military activities to make my first visit to Cape Verde, which is one of our foremost partners. Even though it is a small country, we have a very strong and active relationship focused on this issue of maritime security. But it's a relationship that is extremely healthy and successful, based on the nature of your country and the nature of your society, the strength of your institutions, your openness and transparency, the lack of corruption, the fact that you are a democratic country that respects human rights, and that your institutions are well managed.

(Crosstalk. Translation into Portuguese)

Q: (In Portuguese)

TRANSLATOR: He wants to know what is the main purpose of your visit, and what will be the next step?

AMB. HOLMES: Two primary purposes. The first is just broad in general, to meet the minister who -- this is my first visit to Cape Verde, which is such an important partner, that of course I need to come and to see for myself, to meet the people, and to reinforce this partnership, which we find to be so -- almost ideal in terms of this sort of relationship. So that's the first objective.

TRANSLATOR: (Translates into Portuguese.)

AMB. HOLMES: And then the second objective was to visit COSMAR Center to see what the investment has been and to discuss with your government how to make it operational, how to integrate the elements of Cape Verdean law enforcement and defense, to make it as effective as possible. Because it is the first one in Africa that we are doing , so it's very important that the two sides, particularly as it comes to be operationalized, the Cape Verdean side does its best and to build on that investment to actually use it to control the maritime domain and to advance its own security interests, and regional and global security interests.

TRANSLATOR: (Translates into Portuguese.)

Q: And the next step.

AMB. HOLMES: Oh, and the next step. Well, the next step is the arrival of the American ship, small boat, John L. Hall, in Mindelo for the law enforcement, the African Maritime Law Enforcement Program, AMLEP, which will be a joint effort between Cape Verdean forces and American forces about how to put into operation the information that the COSMAR provides. It's the immediate next step. We take the investment. We have the integration of all this information. So what do you do with it? You must then act on it, and you must get your police, get your defense forces, get your coast guard, you get your prosecutors, and your judicial system all to work together to make sure that when someone is doing something illegal, smuggling narcotics, fishing, that they can be stopped and then processed through the legal system so that a strong, clear message is sent to the world that Cape Verde is in control of its waters, and it will permit legal activities, and it will prevent illegal activities.

TRANSLATOR: (Translates into Portuguese.)

END OF PRESS AVAILABILITY