President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva witnessed the signing of five bilateral agreements aimed at expanding the two countries’ cooperation in several fields, including energy and agricultural development.
One of the agreements was on Bioenergy Cooperation between the Department of Energy and the Ministry of Mines and Energy of Brazil, which was signed by Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes and Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap. The agreement aims to facilitate technical cooperation in bioenergy, including the production and use of biofuels, particularly ethanol, and promote the expansion of bilateral trade and investment the biofuel.
The Agreement on Remunerated Employment of Dependents of Diplomats, Consular, Administrative and Technical Personnel were signed by Foreign Affairs Secretary Roberto Romulo and his Brazilian counterpart. The agreement allows dependents of Filipino and Brazilian personnel in the two countries’ diplomatic and consular missions to engage in gainful employment in the host countries.
Also signed was the agreement between the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Brazil’s National Confederation of Industry that seeks to expand business linkages and promote cooperative activities between their members.
The two MOUs on agricultural cooperation between Brazil and the Philippines were the Cooperation on Agriculture between the Department of Agriculture (DA) and Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply; and between the Philippine Agricultural Development and Commercial Corporation (PADCC) and the Empresa Brasiliera de Pesquisa Agropecuaria or the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA). (PIA-MMIO)