AFGHANISTAN AND BRAZIL SIGN COOPERATION AGREEMENT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
August 1, 2006
INQUIRIES:
M. Ashraf Haidari
(202) 483-6410 ext. 8011
[email protected]
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Afghanistan’s non-resident Ambassador to Brazil Said Tayeb Jawad and Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim signed Basic Agreement for Technical Cooperation between the Governments of Federative Republic of Brazil and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in Brasilia today, August 1, 2006. Afghanistan and Brazil initiated the signing of the Agreement based on the participation of Brazil in the London Conference early this year. Foreign Minister Amorim praised Afghanistan’s achievement of the Bonn Agreement objectives at the London Conference and pledged to help the country implement the goals of the Afghanistan Compact and the Afghanistan National Development (ANDS).
Foreign Minister Celso said: “We are ready to offer our cooperation to Afghanistan, particularly in such areas as foreign trade monitoring, population census, agricultural research, de-mining and electoral assistance. Brazil has been implementing a range of policies and programs in the human rights area, such as gender and racial equality and the fight against hunger and poverty, which we are ready to share.”
President Hamid Karzai appreciated Brazil’s participation as the only South American nation in the London Conference. “I am grateful that our partners in the international community, such as Brazil, took the opportunity of the London Conference to renew their commitment to supporting Afghanistan by joining us in the Compact,” the President wrote in a letter to Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva.
Ambassador Jawad commented: “Brazil is a regional and global leader with vast resources. We welcome with deep appreciation Brazil’s participation in the long-term development of Afghanistan, and look forward to investment by Brazilian companies and reconstruction aid through the Agreement we signed today.” The Ambassador will meet with relevant Brazilian officials to discuss bilateral assistance in the following areas and to initiate exchange of delegations to explore new projects in accordance with the Afghanistan Compact and the ANDS:
- Conducting population census and training statisticians
- Training counter-narcotics and border police
- Technical assistance in hydro power generation
- Mining and processing coal, minerals, precious and semi-precious stones
- Agronomy and agribusiness
- Building trade capacity
Afghanistan’s first indirect diplomatic relations with Brazil began in 1962. After a long interval, Ambassador Jawad presented his credentials to President Lula da Silva to reestablish diplomatic relations between Afghanistan and Brazil in September 2004.
