Carolina Pimentel
Reporter - Agência Brasil

Brasília - Today (9), President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva receives the president of Gambia, Yahya Jammeh, on his first visit to Brazil. The two governments will sign a technical cooperation agreement that establishes norms for joint projects in the future, according to information furnished by the Ministry of Foreign Relations.

Jammeh's visit fits into the Brazilian government's strategy of closer ties between Brazil and the African continent. Trade between the two nations is insignificant from the Brazilian standpoint. In 2004 Brazil exported US$ 30.947 million to Gambia, from which it imported no more than US$ 5 million, according to a survey by the Ministry of Development, Industry, and Foreign Trade.

The most important Brazilian exports to Gambia are sugar, meat, pepper, rice, candy, and ceramics. Brazil is Gambia's fourth biggest supplier. Paper is one of the products that Brazil most imports from Gambia.

Jammeh will visit installations of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Enterprise (Embrapa), attend a presentation by the Brazilian aviation industry, and meet with the president of the Brazilian Institute of Science and Technology Information (Ibict).

Translation: David Silberstein