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* [The] visit was marked by the signing of five agreements. These covered Bilateral Technical Cooperation to establish the modalities by which Ethiopia can benefit from Brazil’s impressive successes in capacity building; the Waiver of Visas for Holders of Diplomatic, Official and Service Passports; the Establishment of a Mechanism of Political Consultation; the Establishment of a Joint Permanent Commission for Cooperation which will allow the two parties to indentify areas of possible bilateral cooperation; and a Protocol of Intention on Technical Cooperation, opening doors to share best research practices as well as facilitating the transfer of modern agricultural technology inputs.
* Coincidentally, Ethiopian Airlines announced this week that it was planning to start flights to Sao Paulo in Brazil later this year. Sao Paulo with its population of around 20 million is one of the largest and richest cities in the world. This would be Ethiopian Airlines first flight destination in Latin America.
On Monday this week, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hailemariam held discussions with Brazilian Foreign Minister, Antonio Patriota on a visit to Ethiopia. The Deputy Prime Minister provided an extensive briefing on the social, economic and political transformation that is underway in Ethiopia and on the peace and security situation in the Horn of Africa. He noted that Ethiopia and Brazil had a lot in common including the federal system that both states followed. Technologies used in Brazil could also be used in Ethiopia because of this shared background. Now the two countries had ample opportunities to share experiences with each other. The Deputy Prime Minister, referring to the current visit of the Speaker of the House of People’s Representatives, Abadula Gameda, to Brazil, emphasized that Ethiopia wanted to improve its knowledge of Brazil’s federalism. The Speaker is leading a delegation of federal and regional councils’ members at the invitation of the Brazilian government. Ethiopia would also like to share experiences in a number of areas – education, agriculture, and research in sugar development and processing as well as leather processing, infrastructural development and the ability to attract investment.
The Deputy Prime Minister underlined Ethiopia’s desire to diversify foreign direct investment and attract investment from other countries in addition to Turkey, India, China and European states. He said Ethiopia would like to see investment from Brazil. Ethiopia, he added, was well aware that the development of a country depended upon technology transfer not just the western handout approach. In addition to strengthening the bilateral relationship, the Deputy Prime Minister said Ethiopia would also like to expand its links with Brazil in multilateral fora like the United Nations and extend South-South cooperation, advancing the African agenda of engagement with Brazil. He also briefed the Brazilian Foreign Minister on recent developments in Somalia and the current conflict between the Sudan and South Sudan.
For his part, the Brazilian Foreign Minister described the existing relationship between Brazil and Ethiopia as very positive. He said that there was a unique opportunity to further strengthen this relationship since the two countries now have embassies in their respective capitals. Indeed, Brazil had many embassies in Africa, a demonstration of the fact that, for Brazil, Africa holds a unique place in the world. He also noted the progress made in Ethiopia, witnessing as it was double digit economic growth that showed the country was on the right lines. Indeed, its demography, and the achievement of political stability and peace in Ethiopia, were crucial for Brazil. Concerning the peace and stability of the region, Mr. Patriota noted Brazil’s keen interest in seeing the spectre of failed state overcome. He suggested that this and similar problems might be resolved through the correct mix of regional attention, UN support and the involvement of key countries.
To further strengthen the existing relationship between Ethiopia and Brazil, Mr. Patriota’s visit was marked by the signing of five agreements. These covered Bilateral Technical Cooperation to establish the modalities by which Ethiopia can benefit from Brazil’s impressive successes in capacity building; the Waiver of Visas for Holders of Diplomatic, Official and Service Passports; the Establishment of a Mechanism of Political Consultation; the Establishment of a Joint Permanent Commission for Cooperation which will allow the two parties to indentify areas of possible bilateral cooperation; and a Protocol of Intention on Technical Cooperation, opening doors to share best research practices as well as facilitating the transfer of modern agricultural technology inputs. Coincidentally, Ethiopian Airlines announced this week that it was planning to start flights to Sao Paulo in Brazil later this year. Sao Paulo with its population of around 20 million is one of the largest and richest cities in the world. This would be Ethiopian Airlines first flight destination in Latin America.
During his visit, Mr. Patriota also held discussions with Prime Minister Meles who noted that Ethiopia was keen to benefit from Brazil’s vast and relevant experience in areas of technical cooperation, investment and expertise in infrastructural projects. He emphasized that Brazil’s pro-poor policies and dramatic economic development could be a source of inspiration for Ethiopia and for many developing countries in Africa. Mr. Partriota also attended a meeting of the AU Peace and Security Council on Tuesday to underline Brazil’s engagement and interest in peace, development, stability and democracy in Africa.
Source: A Week in the Horn – April 27, 2012 issue
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