Lula named fire management and sustainable use of natural resources “to preserve ecosystems” as areas where the two countries can exchange experience, and touted advancing cooperation on biofuels as a way to slash fossil fuel consumption while creating jobs.
“Education and culture are the best tools for cultivating our ties,” he pointed out, calling for more promotion of direct partnerships between higher education and research institutions in both countries, including promotion of the Portuguese language. While it is the official language of Mozambique, less than half the population speaAs Brazil and Mozambique celebrate a half-century of bilateral relations, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva travelled to Mozambique to bolster that partnership with a host of new accords in key areas.
Lula arrived in the Mozambican capital late on Sunday afternoon for a jam-packed visit, his fourth to the country, the Portuguese news agency Lusa reports.
In between a closed-door meeting with Mozambican President Daniel Chapo and receiving an honorary doctorate from the Pedagogical University of Maputo, Lula oversaw the signing of nine legal instruments expected to strengthen the Brazil-Mozambique partnership across areas such as humanitarian assistance, health, education, food security, agriculture, biofuels, defence, trade and investment.
“This visit reinforces the historical ties between our peoples and inaugurates a new stage in the strengthening of our bilateral relations, strategic cooperation, and shared development,” Chapo commented on social media.
[See more: Lula says Brazil has the ‘potential to help Africa’]
Speaking after the signings in Maputo, Lula explained that investments in strengthening the industrial health complex in Brazil will allow the country to resume the production of pharmaceuticals and medicines in Mozambique. He also expressed concrete willingness to work with Mozambique on food security and agriculture, revealing new training opportunities made available through the Ministry of Education, the Brazilian Cooperation Agency and the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation.
“No one is better than Brazil to contribute to food security in Mozambique,” he told press, emphasising that with the right technology, the country can increase productivity “without compromising the environment.”
The Brazilian leader also urged the promotion of the Portuguese language in Mozambique. Presently, less than half the population speak it as their first or second language, compared to nearly all Brazilians.
