Vítor Abdala
Enviado especial

Algiers – A small group of businessmen are travelling with president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on this, his fifth trip to Africa. During their visit to Algeria, most of them looked for opportunities. But some, such as the construction firms Odebrecht and Andrade Gutierrez are already doing business there. According to Flávio Machado, director of Institutional Relations at Andrade Gutierrez, the firm recently won a bid to build a dam in northeast Algeria.

Machado says the dam project is a gateway to other business in the local market. "There is no doubt that the contract we already have, and now the presidential visit, will open doors for Brazilian companies." he declared.

Meanwhile, Gustavo Assad, of Odebrechet, says Algeria is a good investment destination. "This visit makes it easy to make contacts and gain entrance to the African market," he says, adding that Odebrechet has been in Angola for 20 years and is now eager to expand to the rest of the continent.

Translation: Allen Bennett