Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva received Tuesday, August 9, the President of Gambia, Yahya Jammeh, on his first visit to Brazil.
The two governments will sign a technical cooperation agreement that establishes norms for joint projects in the future, according to information from the Ministry of Foreign Relations.
Jammeh’s visit fits into the Brazilian government’s strategy of closer ties between Brazil and the African continent.
Trade between the two nations is insignificant from the Brazilian standpoint. In 2004 Brazil exported US$ 30.947 million to Gambia, from which it imported no more than US$ 5 million, according to a survey by Brazil’s Ministry of Development, Industry, and Foreign Trade.
The most important Brazilian exports to Gambia are sugar, meat, pepper, rice, candy, and ceramics. Brazil is Gambia’s fourth biggest supplier. Paper is one of the products that Brazil most imports from Gambia.
Jammeh will visit installations of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Enterprise (Embrapa), attend a presentation by the Brazilian aviation industry, and meet with the president of the Brazilian Institute of Science and Technology Information (Ibict).
The Gambians will remain in Brazil until Saturday. Besides president Jammeh, his Chief of Staff and the ministers of Foreign Relations, Youth, Sports and Religion, Agriculture, Commerce and Industry, Health and Well-Being have also come to Brazil.
Agência Brasil