Carolina Pimentel
Reporter - Agência Brasil

Brasília - The Brazilian and Angolan governments will sign three cooperation agreements tomorrow (3) in the areas of sanitation, geology and mining, and public administration. The ratification ceremony will take place during an encounter between President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and the President of Angola, José Eduardo dos Santos, who is in Brazil on an official two-day visit.

The Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Relations informed that the agreements were concluded at the 6th Session of the Brazil-Angola Joint Commission, held from April 25-27, in Brasília. Three more agreements are being negotiated, dealing with mutual cooperation on penal questions, an extradition treaty, and the transfer of sentenced criminals.

The two presidents should also talk about business. Brazilian entrepreneurs met in Rio on April 28 to discuss investment opportunities in Angola.

Angola is an important trade partner of Brazil on the African continent. Bilateral trade in 2004 amounted to over US$ 300 million. Brazil accounted for the larger share, according to data from the Ministry of Development, Industry, and Foreign Trade. Brazil's main exports were sugar, iron bars, cell phones, corn, meat, and tractors. The chief items it bought from Angola were meal and fish.

The Angolan delegation is made up of the Ministers of Foreign Relations, João Bernardo de Miranda, Finance, José Pedro de Morais Junior, and Justice, Manuel Miguel da Costa Aragão. The President of Angola will also be received by the presidents of the Chamber of Deputies, Severino Cavalcanti, the Senate, Renan Calheiros, and the Federal Supreme Court, Nelson Jobim.

Translation: David Silberstein