The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tunisia, Abdelwahab Abdallah, and the Brazilian Minister of Education, Fernando Haddad, signed Monday, January 16, in Brazilian capital BrasÀlia, an agreement for cooperation in the area of university education, research and technology.
"I hope that this date will mark a new phase in relations between both countries regarding education and culture," declared Haddad during the meeting at the Ministry of Education.
The agreement calls for both countries to provide incentives to public and private universities and establish exchange between professors for short periods (two to three weeks), organize scientific exchange, organize missions by researchers, and implement dual tutoring and dual diplomas.
The treaty also covers, among other topics, incentives to professor and researcher participation in events in both countries, exchange of documents and publications, and exchange of students.
"According to the foreign policy of the current government, Brazil should not only establish trade relations with other countries, but also guarantee they are accompanied by closer ties in the social point of view," added Haddad.
According to the Brazilian Foreign Office (Itamaraty), the university already offers a Portuguese course, but the agreement is going to make it possible to have greater exchange between professors.
In the same line, at the end of the meeting of the Brazil-Tunisia Mixed Committee, which will bring together government and private sector representatives, a cultural cooperation treaty between both countries should be renewed for the 2006-2009 period.
The document, according to the Itamaraty, should contemplate the areas of cinema, photography, cultural assets and diversity, theatre, literature, music and dance, with Brazilian participation at events in Tunisia and vice versa. The Arab country organizes, for example, the Carthage Film Festival, one of the most important in the area in Africa and the Middle East.
Other areas, like agriculture and health, should also be the object of protocols of intention. Apart from Fernando Haddad and the minister of Foreign Relations, Celso Amorim, Abdallah was also supposed to meet with the ministers of Agriculture, Roberto Rodrigues, and Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, Luiz Fernando Furlan, with the president of the Lower House, Aldo Rebelo, and with the vice president of the republic, José Alencar.
Learning About the Market
The meeting of the mixed committee will include both members of government and representatives of construction companies Andrade Gutierrez, Camargo Corrêa and Norberto Odebrecht, and of oil company Petrobras and aircraft maker Embraer. At the meeting, these companies are going to be able to learn about the potential of the Tunisian market.
"This is an important meeting in which it is possible to make a first contact, to learn about the businessmen in the region so as to, in future, start prospecting the market," stated the executive director of institutional relations at construction company Andrade Gutierrez, Flávio Machado Filho.
During the meeting, the Tunisians will be able to show what their country has to offer in terms of business and, at the same time, learn more about the sectors represented by the Brazilian companies.
Commercial contacts will continue on the 18th, when Minister Abdallah will be in São Paulo, the largest business center in Brazil, accompanied by representatives from 10 companies from his country. At the offices of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce there will be a seminar about business opportunities in Tunisia, as well as business roundtables.
Tunisian companies are interested in exporting phosphates and phosphoric acid, importing trucks, chassis and bodies for buses, buying and selling spices, exporting dates and other food products, refrigerators, equipment for meat packing plants, hotel equipment and construction material, and are also interested in importing sugar, pepper, cattle beef, fish and gas cookers.
Those interested in participating in the events in São Paulo should get in contact with the marketing department of the Arab Brazilian Chamber. Admittance is free.
Contact
Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce
Marketing department
Tel: (+55 11) 3283-4066
E-mail: marketing@ccab.org.br
Anba – www.anba.com.br
