Brasília – Today, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is receiving the President of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf, and the first lady of that country, Sehba Musharraf, at the Planalto Palace. Brazil and Pakistan plan to sign four bilateral treaties in the spheres of the war against narcotraffic, food security, visa exemptions, and the establishment of regular consulting mechanisms on matters of common interest.

This is the first visit to Brazil by a Pakistani head of state. According to the Ministry of Development, Industry, and Foreign Trade, bilateral exchanges between Brazil and Pakistan have totaled approximately US$ 77 million so far this year. From January to October, Brazil exported US$ 72 million to Pakistan and imported US$ 4.9 million from there. The chief Brazilian products consumed in Pakistan are beef fat, tractor parts and accessories, and cotton.

Besides commercial relations, the Presidents are expected to discuss coordination in the ambit of the G-20 and the war against hunger and poverty. Pakistan is a member of the G-20, the group of agricultural export-producing countries in which Brazil exercises one of the leadership roles. Moreover, Musharraf was one of the participants at the Meeting of World Leaders for Action against Hunger and Poverty, on September 20, in New York.

This afternoon the Pakistani president is scheduled to pay a visit to the National Congress, where he will pay his respects to José Sarney and João Paulo Cunha, presidents of the Federal Senate and Chamber of Deputies, respectively. Tomorrow (30) he will proceeed to São Paulo, where he will open the Brazil-Pakistan business seminar. He also plans to visit the Brazilian aircraft manufacturing company, Embraer, in São José dos Campos (SP). From Brazil he will move on to Argentina and Mexico.

Agência Brasil
Reporters: Irene Lobo and Lana Cristina
Translator: David Silberstein
11/29/2004