São Paulo – The deputy prime minister of Libya, Imbarek Ashamikh, and the minister of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade of Brazil, Miguel Jorge, signed yesterday (19), in Brasília, a memorandum of understanding to establish a bilateral committee for promotion of trade, investment and infrastructure. The information was disclosed by the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade.
The idea of the commission was launched during the trip that Jorge took to North Africa, in late January, which had Libya as its first stop. At the same occasion, the minister signed a similar document with the government of Morocco. According to the Ministry, the committee, the first of its kind to be formed by both countries, should open opportunities for Brazilian companies to establish bases in Libya.
"The visit is the counterpart for our visit to Libya and strengthens both bilateral and strategic relations, as Brazil is open to negotiations with Libya," said Jorge, in a ministry press statement.
According to the ministry, within the commission there should be a work group to cover not only the area of infrastructure. It should include a coordinator from each country. On the Brazilian side will be the president of the Brazilian Agency for Industrial Development (ABDI), Reginaldo Arcuri, and on the Libyan side, the minister of Infrastructure and Housing, Abuzaidi Omar Doda. Jorge met with Doda during his visit to Tripoli, when the proposal of the memorandum of understanding arose.
Still according to the ministry, the commission should meet twice a year, one in each country, and should include participation of the Itamaraty.
Investment
At the same meeting in Brasília, Ashamikh stated that Libya plans to invest at least US$ 500 million in South America, mainly in Brazil and focussing especially on the agricultural sector.
Still in the Federal capital, the Libyan prime minister had meetings with the Chief of Staff, Dilma Roussef, with Foreign Minister Celso Amorim and with the president of the Lower House, Michel Temer. Today he is going to Bahia, where he should visit a project by Odebrecht group in the agricultural area.
*Translated by Mark Ament
