Brazil, UAE to cooperate in defence

Brasilia, April 23 (IANS/EFE) Brazil and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed here Tuesday an agreement on defence cooperation, Brazil's foreign ministry said in a statement.

The accord comes during an ongoing working visit by UAE Prime Minister and Vice President Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, who is on a swing through Latin America.

The Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff met the UAE guest at the presidential headquarters to assess the process of dialogue between South American and Arab nations, a process that was strongly promoted by her predecessor, former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (2003-2010), the ministry said.

A joint cooperation committee on defense is charged with recommending mechanisms for the implementation of the accord.

Bilateral cooperation could take place in areas including the transfer of defense technology, military training, logistical support, defense-related scientific research and products, United Nations peacekeeping missions, crisis management and military information exchange, among others, said the statement.

The agreement, initially valid for five years, will take effect after both parties have met their respective legal prerequisites.

---IANS/EFE

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