PM INVITED TO LEAD ECONOMIC MISSION TO BRAZIL

PM INVITED TO LEAD ECONOMIC MISSION TO BRAZIL

KINGSTON, April 28 (JIS):

        Prime Minister Bruce Golding may be returning to Brazil within months, to strengthen economic bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

        This is based on an invitation issued by Brazil's President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, to Prime Minister Golding, following Monday's first Brazil-CARICOM Summit in Brasilia, to lead a private sector delegation representing areas selected on the basis of potential for growth, within the next few months.

       Jamaica House says that important among the issues to be pursued will be energy, in which collaboration on biofuels, oil and natural gas would be explored.

       These are among several areas which were identified for enhanced bilateral cooperation during an intensive meeting between Mr. Golding and President Lula, who stressed the need for both countries to act rapidly and effectively to achieve their agreed objectives.

      They agreed that a Joint Commission is to be established, which will have its first meeting in Kingston before the end of June. In addition experts from Brazil's Institute of Applied Economic Research (IPEA) will visit Jamaica next month. Technical consultations between Jamaica's energy sector and Brazil's Petrobas will be stepped up over the next several weeks.

      Agriculture and Health will continue to benefit from deepening bilateral relations.. Two agreements were signed for building human resource capacity for food chain development and for production and processing of tropical fruits in Jamaica. Brazil and Jamaica will also cooperate in sickle cell research, screening and treatment.

     Prime Minister Golding reaffirmed that he and CARICOM partners will rely on President Lula to raise CARICOM's concerns at the upcoming meeting of G20 in Canada. He outlined the special vulnerability of the region, and stressed that the case needs to be made at the G20 for special treatment of highly indebted middle income countries.

          President Lula gave pride of place to discussions on the impact of the global recession on CARICOM countries, during Monday's first Brazil-CARICOM Summit in Brasilia, attended by at least 10 CARICOM Heads of Government, including

Mr. Golding.

           The Prime Minister's team also included the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Ambassador Evadne Coye and the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), Miss Onika Miller.