The Presidents of Guyana and Brazil have stressed the importance of coordinating positions on trade negotiations and strengthening security cooperation on the frontier.

President Bharrat Jagdeo and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva have also highlighted the importance of a visit here by a team from the Brazilian Cooperation Agency before year-end to examine new areas of cooperation.

These issues were addressed in the joint communique issued by the Guyanese and Brazilian authorities following Jagdeo’s visit to Brazil last week.

The Presidents underlined the importance of the coordination of the positions of South American countries in hemispheric and international trade negotiations. They further noted that for such negotiations to obtain balanced and equitable results, the difference in levels of economic development of the countries of the hemisphere, their national development strategies and their enormous social needs, should be taken into account.

In this regard they emphasised the need for the identification of appropriate funding mechanisms which would facilitate effective hemispheric trade integration.

Guyana and Brazil have been at odds over the latter’s challenge at the World Trade Organisation to the European Union’s (EU) sugar regime. Guyana depends heavily on the preferential prices available in the EU market and Guyana and other African, Caribbean and Pacific sugar-producing countries have been trying to convince Brazil and its co-challengers Thailand and Australia to drop their complaint.

The communiqué said that the Presidents also took cognisance of the need for strengthened cooperation to promote security on the frontier. They emphasised the importance of convening meetings through the bilateral mechanisms set up in relation to drugs, police cooperation and customs matters.

Guyana and Brazil have also agreed to an early visit to Brazil by the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Gail Teixeira, within the ambit of the bilateral cultural agreement.

During Jagdeo’s visit, Guyana and Brazil also signed a complementary agreement to the basic agreement of technical cooperation for the implementation of the project `Data Base Management of Dairy Cattle Production and Disease Surveillance in Guyana.’

The communique noted further that in discussions on the battle against poverty, the government of Brazil proposed the creation of a bi-national health commission.

In relation to the transfer of technology and ethanol production, the communique said that Brazil will examine the possibility of offering technical assistance to establish a system of ethanol production in Guyana.

The two leaders also noted the urgent need to foster linkages between their respective business sectors through the promotion of seminars and participation in trade fairs. They emphasised the importance of completing early the bilateral programme under the agreement signed between the Institute of Small Enterprise Development (IPED) and the Support Service to Small and Micro Businesses of the State of Roramia (SEBRAE-RR).

Jagdeo also expressed appreciation for Brazil’s offer of technical cooperation in the area of trade promotion between the Ministry of External Relations of Brazil and Guyana’s Ministry of Foreign Trade. This includes training for setting up a mechanism similar to BrazilTrade Net and other instruments related to trade intelligence.

According to the communique, both Presidents reaffirmed their support of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organisation and reiterated their governments’ willingness to give impetus to the harmonisation of policies in relation to issues on the environment including those which refer to the protection of genetic resources and bio-diversity for the benefit of the peoples of the Amazon.

Agreeing to accelerate the implementation of projects which contribute to the linkage of the two countries in the areas of transport, energy and communications, the two leaders highlighted the timeliness of the seminar sponsored by the National Bank of Social and Economic Development (BNDES) and the Andean Corporation Fund (CAF) being held in Rio De Janeiro from yesterday until tomorrow. The seminar is aimed at discussing proposals for the financing of infrastructure projects in South America.

In the area of consular and juridical cooperation, they noted the level of understanding reached in the negotiation of an extradition treaty between the two countries.

Jagdeo, according to the communiqué, also expressed Guyana’s support for Brazil’s permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council. In relation to the UN, the two presidents agreed on the need to reform and revitalise the UN system, especially the Security Council and to make it more responsive to the changed international situation.

Jagdeo’s visit to Brazil, the communique said, was part of a series of ongoing encounters da Silva is having with his South American partners and emphasises Guyana’s full participation in South America without prejudice to its Caribbean linkage.