Atlantic Centre set up by 16 countries

The Atlantic Centre, a Portugal-led initiative that joins 16 countries from Europe, Africa and the Americas, represents a "new front to support peace and stability in the Atlantic Ocean", claimed the Portuguese Minister of Defence, João Gomes Cravinho, at Praia da Vitória, on Terceira Island.

"What we are celebrating here today is the launch of a pioneering institution which, for the first time in history, brings together the Atlantic nations around what unites them: the Atlantic Ocean. It seems odd this hasn’t happened before", he added.

The Atlantic Centre was created through a joint statement signed by 16 countries: Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Equatorial Guinea, France, Gambia, Germany, Guinea Bissau, Morocco, Portugal, São Tomé and Principe, Senegal, Spain, United Kingdom, United States of America, and Uruguay.  

The statement was signed in person by the Minister of Defence of Portugal and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Gambia, Mamadu Tangara, (the other Ministers took part by videoconference). 

Supporting peace

João Gomes Cravinho said that the Portuguese proposal, initially by Minister Azeredo Lopes was "greeted in a very spontaneous and immediate fashion" with "great satisfaction" by the countries that make up the centre.

"What we are proposing here is in fact a new perspective, a new front to support peace and stability in the Atlantic Ocean, which is so important for us and for so many other countries", he remarked.

The centre will enable a political dialogue "that has never taken place so far", involving all the parts of the Atlantic, as well as the exchange of knowledge between universities, research centres and the armed forces of the various countries, and capacity building and training.

First course

After the statement was signed, an exercise was carried out to simulate a rescue at sea, in a piracy situation, which involved the Portuguese Navy and Air Force. 

This exercise, the first initiative organized by the Atlantic Centre, was the wrap-up of an intensive course at Lajes Air Base that had started on the 10th, on maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea, which included 25 auditors of 13 nationalities.

The Minister noted that "this week we had the first of many, we hope, where we bring together auditors from many countries around the Atlantic and teachers from a large number of countries to create shared knowledge".

"All countries from the Atlantic can take part in this centre". The basic criterion is "commitment to peace and stability in the Atlantic", he stated.

The centre will be based at Lajes Air Base on Terceira Island. "We want Lajes Air Base to be the epicentre of the Atlantic Centre. The courses, like the one that ended today, will be held here at Lajes, which has excellent facilities. The Ministry of Defence will be investing in new infrastructures", he claimed.