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Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva received yesterday, at the Planalto Palace, in Brasília, the President of Algeria, Abdelaziz Bouteflika.
Mr. Bouteflika participated on the Summit of South American - Arab Countries, which ended Wednesday, May 11. He is also the president of the Arab League, integrated by 22 countries.
During the meeting, Brazilian and Algerian governments signed three agreements. One is about the adoption of sanitary measures to prevent the transmission of diseases and plagues through vegetal products. The agreement is valid for five years and may be extended for five more years.
The second document determines cooperation in the veterinarian area for animal trading and sanitary control. This agreement is also valid for five years.
The last agreement exempts people from both countries, who have diplomatic and service passports, from the need of requesting visas to enter the other country.
This measure will make easier traveling of government employees, who will be able to travel and stay in both countries for 90 days (extendable). This agreement has no expiration date.
Trading between both countries has doubled from 2003 to 2004, going from US$ 1.2 billion to US$ 2.3 billion. Only a few products are exchanged between Brazil and Algeria and, in Lula's opinion, it is necessary to diversify these items to increase trading flow.
Lula praised the efforts of the Algerian government in the combat of hunger and world misery. He said, on his speech during lunch offered to President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, that both governments have many common interests and priorities, and cited the social development as one of them.
Agência Brasil
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