Brasília – On a visit to three African countries – Ethiopia, Tunisia and Mauritania –, the Brazilian minister of Foreign Relations, Antonio Patriota, is participating in discussions about the crisis is Muslim nations, the coup d’etat in Guinea-Bissau and political unrest in Mali. The Foreign minister is boosting partnerships in the region, according to instructions of president Dilma Rousseff’s to expand relations in emerging countries.
This Monday (23rd), Patriota met with the Ethiopian prime-minister, Meles Zenawi, and the Egyptian minister of Foreign Affairs, Hailemariam Desalegn, to discuss measures the international community may adopt to fight terrorism in the Horn of Africa.
If it is up to Brazil, the operation of regional mechanisms such as the African Union (which comprises 42 nations) and the United Nations will be enhanced. Traditionally, the Brazilian government is favourable to negotiations mediated by regional entities, through dialogue and peaceful negotiation.
In the capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, Patriota signed six bilateral agreements with the government, providing for permanent dialogue, more flights between Brazil and Ethiopia, and cooperation for education, agriculture, energy and infrastructure. In 2011, trade between the two countries reached US$ 34.28 million.
Ethiopia is the tenth economy in Africa, and is growing constantly. The headquarters of the African Union (AU) and of the United Nations’ Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) are located in the country. A meeting of the African Union’s Peace and Security Council about the situation in Guinea-Bissau and Mali will continue until this Tuesday (24th), as well as attempts at ending the impasse between Sudan and South Sudan.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
