Cape Verde is interested in having “stronger” cooperation with Europe in areas such as security, the environment and increasing the competitiveness of the economy, Cape Verdean prime minister, José Maria das Neves said Thursday in Porto, Portugal.

Speaking at the VII European Socialist Party Congress, which was held until Sunday in Porto, Neves said that the aim was to transform Cape Verde into an international services center.

“A center for providing tourism, financial and air and sea transport service. A logistics center to support fishing and transport in that region of the Atlantic,” Neves explained.

According to figures provided by the prime minister, Cape Verde's gross domestic product (GDP) will grow by 6.5 to 7 percent next year, inflation will be of between zero and 1 percent and the public deficit will stand at 2.5 percent.

“We have foreign reserves that cover almost three and a half months of imports,” he said. The local government that “soon” the balance of payments will be balanced, with the contribution of services in the tourism sector.

“Exports are increasing exponentially and so they will soon balance the balance of payments in Cape Verde, through development of the country as an international services center,” he said.