Seyma Erkul Dayanc
18 April 2026•Update: 18 April 2026
Sao Tome and Principe sees strong potential for strategic, mutually beneficial cooperation with Türkiye as it advances its economic diplomacy agenda, the Central African island nation’s foreign minister said on Saturday.
“With Türkiye, we can create a context of strategic, win-win diplomacy and cooperation,” Ilza Maria dos Santos Amado Vaz told Anadolu on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum.
She said that Sao Tome and Principe is focusing on economic diplomacy, with bilateral agreements serving as frameworks to support investment and development in key sectors.
“Bilateral agreements serve as mechanisms to define a framework for cooperation in sectors we consider essential for development,” Vaz said.
The minister identified energy transition as a priority, stressing the need for sufficient investment to move away from fossil fuels.
“It is important to have enough investment so that we can break from fossil-based energy,” she said.
Vaz said that her country’s newly approved national development strategy is centered on becoming a sustainable tourism destination, with cooperation playing a central role.
“Our vision is based on Sao Tome and Principe as a sustainable tourism destination,” she said, emphasizing the importance of both public and private partnerships.
Infrastructure gaps
She pointed to infrastructure gaps, including roads, ports and airports, as critical areas for development to support tourism and connectivity.
“We cannot speak about development if we cannot allow tourists to move,” she said.
She also highlighted opportunities in the blue economy, citing the country’s location in the Gulf of Guinea and its vast maritime zone.
“Our maritime zone is 160 times larger than our territory,” she said, noting strong potential in fisheries and marine resources.
The minister added that Sao Tome and Principe aims to balance blue and green economy development while leveraging its biodiversity and agricultural products such as cocoa and vanilla.
“Sao Tome and Principe can give and can also receive,” she said.
Vaz also stressed the importance of multilateralism, calling for stronger cooperation based on respect for the UN Charter, human rights and sovereignty.
“We must work together so that the world knows peace, with less inequality and more justice,” she said.
World leaders and senior government officials arrived in Türkiye for the fifth edition of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, held April 17-19 in the southern Mediterranean city and focused this year on managing global uncertainty.
The forum, held under the auspices of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and hosted by the Turkish Foreign Ministry, centers on the theme “Mapping Tomorrow, Managing Uncertainties,” according to diplomatic sources.