Engaging Portuguese-Speaking Countries as a Diplomatic Foundation for Upcoming ICT-Fueled Geopolitics in the Artificial Intelligence Age

Abstract: Large geopolitical actors display an understanding that the former countries of the Portuguese empire (Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Cabo Verde, Sao Tome and Principe, Mozambique, Timor-Leste) predominantly border strategic routes namely in the Atlantic Ocean, that include significant amounts of maritime exclusive economic zone (EEZ) control throughout the global seas. In international affairs, these territorial claims constitute important spheres of influence covered under the umbrellas of multiple multilateral organizations, including the European Union (EU), the African Union (AU), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa). Geopolitics practitioners thus have interest in greater touchpoints with/in Portuguese-speaking (Lusophone) institutions like the Comunidade dos Paises de Lingua Portuguesa (CPLP, or the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries) and similar regional associations connecting Lusophone African states. This paper provides additional foundational evidence about the viability of a Lusophone-first statecraft strategy in security and trade for the benefit of major global actors, with an emphasis on how advanced information communication technology (ICT) and AI policies will contribute to several expected outcomes in constructing physical and media connectivity infrastructures. Keywords: Portuguese-Speaking, Diplomacy, Geopolitics, Technology, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Multilateral, Infrastructure, Foreign Policy, Lusophone, Africa, Atlantic