Brazil and France will develop projects to produce biofuel in African and Caribbean countries, Haiti in particular. The proposal will be presented in July at the next meeting of the G-8 (the world’s seven wealthiest countries and Russia), in St. Petersburg, Russia.
The cooperation agreement was signed yesterday, May 25, during the visit by the French President, Jacques Chirac, to Brasília.
Chirac, who met with president Lula in the Alvorada Palace, praised the Family Grant, which is the federal government’s income transfer program, and the Brazilian mission to Haiti. According to Chirac, Brazil "gave the helping hand" that Haiti needs to emerge from chaos.
Lula underscored other Franco-Brazilian iniciatives to assist developing nations, such as the creation of an international airfare tax to fund an international pharmaceutical central purchasing office that will give poor countries access to remedies for AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis.
"Our partnership is an example of how developed and developing countries can work together on behalf of the poorest nations," Lula declared.
Besides the agreement on renewable fuel, the Brazilian and French governments signed agreements for the exchange of diplomatic personnel, the promotion of technological development among small and medium-sized firms, incentives for instruction in the two languages, the creation of the Franco-Brazilian Forum of Higher Education and Research, and the implementation of the sustainable management project for forest resources in Brazil.
Agência Brasil