Prime Minister José Maria Neves has been invited to participate in a meeting of the heads of the governments of the European Union's ultra-peripheral regions, slated to take place October 4 and 5 on the Portuguese island of Madeira. The invitation comes from the president of the Autonomous Region of Madeira, Alberto João Jardim.

For the first time, the presidents of the governments of the European Union's ultra-peripheral regions will meet, an initiative of the president of the regional government of the Portuguese archipelago of Madeira.

Other than the date, little is yet known about the meeting, including what may have led José Maria Neves to accept Jardim's invitation.

It is to be expected, however, that Neves will take advantage of the meeting to rally the EU government officials present to the cause of the special partnership Cape Verde hopes to obtain with the European Union.

In addition, Cape Verde has been chosen to host the next meeting of the Confederation of Municipalities of Ultra-Peripheral Regions of the European Union, of which the National Association of Cape Verdean Municipalities (ANMCV) has been an effective member since April 2004, despite the fact that Cape Verde is an independent country and is not a member of the EU.

The confederation is made up of associations representing the municipalities of the Portuguese archipelagos of Madeira and the Azores, Spain's Canary Islands and the French islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique.