São Paulo – A delegation with representatives of several areas of the government of Libya should be in Brazil this week with the objective of expanding bilateral relations. It should be headed by the Libyan deputy prime minister, Imbarek Abdullah Ashamikh, who should arrive in São Paulo today (16). "First of all the legal bases for cooperation between both countries should be put in place," said to ANBA the ambassador of the Arab country to Brazilian capital Brasília, Salem Ezubedi.
In this respect, five agreements should be signed with the government of Brazil in the area of bilateral political consultations, health, visas for authorities, aviation and animal health. The deputy prime minister should be accompanied by representatives in the diplomatic, ironworks, investment, banking, infrastructure and habitation, agricultural, aviation and oil sectors.
In São Paulo, the members of the government of Libya should have meetings with the mayor of the capital city, Gilberto Kassab, and with state governor José Serra. They should also visit the installations of Odebrecht group, which is developing important construction works in Tripoli, and aircraft maker Embraer.
On Wednesday, the group should be in Brazilian capital Brasília for meetings with federal authorities like the minister of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, Miguel Jorge, and the president of the Lower House, Michel Temer. Ezubedi hopes that talks may serve to progress with agreements in the areas of trade and investment.
The delegation should also go to the state of Bahia, where they will visit an Odebrecht project in the agricultural area and where they should have an informal meeting with state governor Jaques Wagner.
The trip takes place few weeks after a mission headed by minister Miguel Jorge to North Africa, in which Libya was the first stop. However, it had been under planning for longer.
In Tripoli, the country capital, Jorge met with several Libyan ministers and heard from them that the country, which is living a good moment of economic development, has great interest in strengthening ties with Brazil and there is disposition to make preference for Brazilian companies in contracts.
The delegation headed by Jorge included over 100 people, mostly businessmen in different areas. The impression among representatives of the private sector was that Libya is a country that is clearly open to business. "The mission was very positive, [the ministers] discussed their points of view, especially about investment opportunities," said Ezubedi.
In recent years, Libya has accumulated reserves due to oil exports and has used this money to develop its infrastructure and economy. This becomes very clear in a visit to the city capital, which is covered in construction sites, including residential and commercial buildings and hotels. Apart from Odebrecht, another Brazilian construction company, Queiros Galvão, is also developing projects in the country.
Deputy prime minister Ashamikh, aged 56, is married and a father of four. He is an engineer graduated from the University of Central Florida, in the United States. He has already occupied several public posts in his country, like Minister of Transportation, minister of Habitation and Public Works and chairman of the Council of Ministers.
*Translated by Mark Ament
