Carolina Pimentel
Reporter - Agência Brasil

Brasília - The governments of Brazil and Gambia signed three cooperation agreements yesterday (9), as a result of the first visit by the Gambian president, Yahya Jammeh, to Brazil. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva received Jammeh in the Planalto Palace early yesterday afternoon.

The first agreement deals with exchanges of programs, techniques, information, and scholarships in the area of sports. The document is valid for three years and can be extended for another three.

The second agreement creates the Brazil-Gambia Joint Cooperation Commission, intended to seek and guide cooperation in the economic, scientific, technological, and cultural spheres. Meetings will be held every two years on a rotating basis in the capitals of the two countries (Brasília and Banjul). The life span of the commission is five years, renewable for another five.

The last agreement determines the rules and norms to which Brazil and Gambia should adhere in future joint projects. This agreement is valid for five years and can be extended for another five.

The agreements are part of the strategy of President Lula's administration to create closer ties between Brazil and Africa. Trade with Gambia is still insignificant from the Brazilian standpoint. Brazil's exports totaled US$ 30.947 million last year, while its imports from Gambia amounted to US$ 4.438 million, according to data from the Ministry of Development, Industry, and Foreign Trade.

The Gambian government is interested in Brazilian agriculture, science, technology, and the aviation industry. A presentation on the Brazilian Aviation Company (Embraer) is planned for President Jammeh's delegation.

Translation: David Silberstein