Covid-19 tested the European Union’s Resilience

By Joel Balsinha,Lisbon

Portugal, which took over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, during the Covid-19 pandemic crisis, faces the challenge of strengthening international security, defense, capacity and operational response, through greater coordination and mutual assistance from Member States to face the transformations of the world.For the fourth time in its history, Portugal assumed the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, but with the notion that it is “time to act: for a just, green and digital recovery”.On the eve of the inauguration, the hydrographic vessel “Almirante Gago Coutinho”, under the orders of the frigate Captain Francisco Calisto de Almeida, set sail for a bilateral cooperation mission to carry out activities with the Republic of Cape Verde.

As part of the Mar Aberto initiative, a series of actions is underway that include the “top-hydrographic survey at various points” in this nation located near the northwest coast of Africa for “updating the cartographic folio. Participation in the project” UNTIeD – Unlocking the mega Tsunami Deadlock ”, related to the study of tidal wave generation, in obtaining scientific data of opportunity currentometry, with a view to contributing to other projects (project“ MELOA – drifter WAVY Ocean ”and“ Global Drifter Program of NOAA ”); Collection of surface water samples for analysis of microplastics, within the scope of the project “Volta ao Mundo Sagres 2020-FA.”

Descriptively the ship, due to the information released by the Armed Forces, scientifically submarines itself for the added value of its “multibeam sounding systems, the acoustic current profiler and the projection capacity of a hydrographic motorboat, also equipped with a multibeam sounder system “.His arrival at Porto da Praia is scheduled for 13 January, after which he will pass through Mindelo eighteen days later, on the last day of the month, and is expected to return from 13 February.The European Union, in its global strategy, currently conducts eleven civilian and six military missions in the world where two thousand civilians and two and a half thousand military personnel participate.

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