Yara Aquino
Reporter Agência Brasil

Brasília – An exchange program for teachers and a series of seminars for researchers in the areas of agriculture, engineering, environment and new technologies are among the items in a new cooperation agreement signed yesterday (January 16) by the Brazilian minister of Education, Fernando Haddad, and the Tunisian Foreign Minister, Abdelwaheb Abdallah, who is on a five-day visit to Brazil. The Tunisian mission will also visit the industrial center of São Paulo, stopping at Embraer and other manufacturing companies and meet with business leaders there.

Under the terms of the new agreement, the two countries will also share documents and publications and set up partnerships between universities.

Actually, Brazil and Tunisia have had a cultural agreement since 1968 but it never was implemented. The present agreement is part of a renewed effort by Brazil to strengthen ties with Arab, African and other developing nations. The difference in the relationship can be seen in the fact that since 2003 trade with Tunisia has risen 89%.

Translation: Allen Bennett