I Brazil-CARICOM Meeting of Heads of State and Government

The Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Dr. W. Baldwin Spencer, and the President of the Federative Republic of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, on the occasion of the I Brazil-CARICOM Meeting of Heads of State and Government, held in Brazil on April 26th., 2010, met to discuss issues of interest to both their Countries, as well as ways to deepen the ties of friendship existing between the people of Antigua and Barbuda and the people of the Federative Republic of Brazil. In this light, the opening of the Brazilian Embassy in St. John's was welcomed by the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda as a very significant and tangible sign of Brazil's commitment to enhancing ties with its Caribbean neighbours.

1. The Meeting reflected their mutual disposition to deepen the political dialogue between the two countries at the highest level and to stimulate the intensification of the bilateral relationship in the economic and commercial fields, as well as in the technological and scientific, cultural and educational fields. Both Leaders agreed that institutions such as the Antigua and Barbuda Development Bank (ABDB) and Brazil's Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social (BNDES) could be instrumental in furthering cooperation between the two countries.

2. To emphasize the importance of having a broader institutional basis for the bilateral relationship, the two Leaders expressed satisfaction at the signing, during this summit, of the Agreements between their two countries regarding Cooperation in Education and Concerning Visa exemptions for Holders of Diplomatic, Official and Service passports. They also agreed to initiate negotiations with a view to signing in the short term Agreements for Cooperation between Antigua and Barbuda and Brazil in the fields of Agriculture, Investments, Science and Technology, Culture, Sports and Tourism.

3. Acknowledging the importance of developing the capacity for communication between the two peoples, the President of Brazil welcomed the suggestion by the Prime Minister that Portuguese language courses be introduced in his country. The Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda stated that his government would provide a package of incentives to establish an off-shore campus of a Brazilian university and/or of a Brazilian technical college in Antigua and Barbuda as instruments to facilitate access by Caribbean students to Brazilian institutes of higher learning.

4. Both Leaders were in agreement as to the need to widen and diversify trade and bilateral investments and undertook to promote the exchange of entrepreneurial missions by each side. Recognizing the importance of coordinating trade between Brazil and the sub-region, Dr. W. Baldwin Spencer opined that the imminent establishment of the OECS Economic Union would facilitate such coordination and offered the services of Antigua and Barbuda in this regard.

5. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva welcomed the suggestion that Antigua and Barbuda's prize-winning project of urban agricultural production could prove to be very useful as an instrument for programmes of eradication of hunger and increasing food production.

6. The two Leaders underlined the importance of the recently completed highway connecting Manaus, Boa Vista and Georgetown, rendering those Brazilian cities natural portals for trade and tourism exchanges between Brazil as a whole and all of CARICOM, as Belém and Macapá already are.

7. The two Leaders recognized that the establishment of direct air links is of paramount importance to any and all cooperation between their countries. In this respect, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took note with interest that the Government of Antigua and Barbuda will utilize its best efforts to explore the granting of Fifth Freedom Rights to suitably qualified carriers wishing to operate one or more routes between the two countries and onwards. Prime Minister Dr. W. Baldwin Spencer highlighted the potential of the opportunities which will open up if the airport at St. John's becomes an even greater hub for air traffic,once airlines make stopovers there on the way to or from destinations in North America, Europe and even the Middle East.

8. Aiming at enhancing cooperation in tourism and increasing as well the number of passengers on direct flights between the two countries, both Leaders were in agreement as to the importance of the cooperation of public sector organizations and private entities. They further agreed that the introduction of innovative tourism packages with multiple destinations, combining attractions in Antigua and Barbuda with those of Brazil, can be expected to create significant demand in countries of the Northern Hemisphere.

9. As direct shipping lines are essential for trade to develop, the President of Brazil took note with interest of the intention of the Government of Antigua and Barbuda to proceed as soon as possible to modernize and expand the port of St. John's as well as the free trade zone. These measures should attract Brazilian companies wishing to finalize production of goods or to assemble products therein, thereby qualifying such goods to benefit from Antigua and Barbuda's privileged access to markets where Brazilian goods do not enjoy similar benefits.

10. Prime Minister Dr. W. Baldwin Spencer requested that consideration be given for Brazil's technical expertise in navigational aids and reef marking to be made available to Antigua and Barbuda, in order to expand the yachting component of the tourism industry as well as to ensure safer navigation in his country's coastal waters.

11. Prime Minister Dr. W. Baldwin Spencer and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva affirmed the interest of their countries in cooperating to strengthen energy security and the use of alternative and renewable sources of energy. They agreed, moreover, to stimulate bilateral cooperation in the field of bio-fuels, in light of the pioneering Brazilian experience in the production and the use of ethanol and bio-diesel.

12. The two Leaders expressed their support for the enlargement of the Security Council of the United Nations, with the entry of new members so as to make it more broadly representative, efficient and transparent. Prime Minister Dr. W. Baldwin Spencer and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva were further in agreement as to the necessity of reform of the United Nations with a view to strengthening multilateralism and ensuring stability and security at the global and regional level. Dr. W. Baldwin Spencer indicated that his Government is giving favourable consideration to Brazil’s candidacy for a permanent seat on the United Nations' Security Council.

13. The two Heads of Government reasserted their support to promote, within the scope of the United Nations, the initiative to elaborate a Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons, on the basis of the legal framework of the Protocol on Trafficking in Persons, additional to the Palermo Convention on Transnational Organized Crime.

14. In this respect, they also agreed that there should be cooperation between their two countries in combating drug trafficking and other international illicit activities, and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva agreed that Brazil is ready to consider ways in which it could contribute to improving the capacity of the Antiguan and Barbudan Coast Guard, Police and other similar bodies.

15. The two Leaders reaffirmed their support for the initiative on the "Alliance of Civilizations" and manifested their satisfaction at the holding of the III Forum of the Alliance, to take place in Rio de Janeiro in May 2010, for the first time outside the Euro-Mediterranean area.

16. The two Leaders agreed that climate change is a very worrisome issue on the contemporary international agenda and should be the subject of constant and priority attention, in the scope of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Kyoto Protocol. They were also in agreement as to the need for ample cooperation at the global level, on the basis of the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, and committed themselves to cooperating for the success of the 16th Conference of Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (COP-16), to take place in Mexico, at the end of 2010.

17. The Leaders commended all the efforts underway to overcome the international economic and financial crisis and stressed the importance of the consolidation of the G-20 as the principal forum for international economic and financial cooperation. [Prime Minister Dr. W. Baldwin Spencer opined that countries that are not members of the G-20 should have an avenue for airing their views and influencing decision-making in that forum.]

18. Furthermore the two Leaders also reiterated their support for the [PRINCIPLES OF THE] multilateral trade system.

19. Prime-Minister Dr. W. Baldwin Spencer and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed their satisfaction with the results of their meeting and reiterated their determination to take the necessary steps to reinforce and put into practice what was discussed between them.

Brasília, April 26th., 2010.