afrol News, 5 February - Portugal has signed an agreement with the ex-colony São Tomé and Príncipe, pledging to assist in the modernisation of its armed forces. São Toméan President Fradique de Menezes has insisted on reforming the army after a short military coup in July last year.

The military aid agreement was signed during the current visit of Portugal's State Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Manuela Franco, to the archipelago. São Toméan Defence Minister Oscar Sousa signed the military cooperation accord in a ceremony today.

The 2004-06 military cooperation, worth euro 300,000, includes six programme fields, aimed at modernising and restructuring São Tomé's armed troops. Portugal, under the agreement, will provide education, training, healthcare and logistical support to the military forces of São Tomé.

Among the aims of the modernisation process is to make São Toméan troops more directed towards international peacekeeping missions. The armed forces are to be trained to perform lifesaving operations in the interest of the national public, crisis management, peacekeeping missions and military engineering and construction works, according to the São Toméan daily 'Téla Nón'.

As offshore oil production is to start in São Toméan waters within short, the military forces also are to increase their naval focus. Portugal, according to the new agreement, is to start training the country's coastguard services, which by now is close to non-existent.

All in all, the two-year commitment is to supply the small nation's armed forces with much needed knowledge and investments, which the São Tomé government expects will turn the tide of dissatisfaction and unrest among army officers - which had been one of the causes for the July coup. The programme also turns the forces' focus towards professional military engagements.

The Portuguese diplomat, Ms Franco, during her visit to São Tomé has had long talks with President Menezes and Prime Minister Maria das Neves. Bilateral cooperation programmes has been significantly strengthened in May last year, as the two governments had agreed on a two-year cooperation accord worth euro 20 million - which is a noteworthy amount in a nation of only 150,000 inhabitants.

The Lisbon-São Tomé 2003-04 cooperation programme focuses on the sectors of education, health, labour and defence. After her meeting with São Toméan top officials, Ms Franco said that all aspects of the Portuguese aid had been discussed.

Ms Franco further told the São Toméan press that she still was to have thorough discussions with local health authorities, which traditionally have received the largest part of Portuguese aid to the archipelago.

Finally, Ms Franco announced that Prime Minister das Neves had confirmed her visit to Portugal later this month. On her visit to Lisbon, Ms das Neves is to continue discussions on the details of the ongoing Portuguese-São Toméan cooperation.

By staff writers

© afrol News

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