KUWAIT, Sept 19 (KUNA) -- Brazilian Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply Tereza Cristina Dias announced on Sunday that the volume of trade exchange between Brazil and Kuwait reached USD 239 million, of which 36 percent representing agricultural products.
Dias made her remarks during a meeting with Kuwaiti media representatives, adding that her visit to Kuwait stems from her desire to consolidate economic relations and increase the volume of trade between the two countries.
She also praised the deep-rooted relations between Kuwait and Brazil.
She revealed a possible agreement, worth USD 50 million, with Kuwait Fund for Economic Development (KFAED) to finance agricultural projects in Brazil.
She explained that the Brazilian government will be a contributing partner in this project, by financing irrigation and electric power, and paying the interest of the loan that Brazil hopes to obtain from the Fund.
She added that her meetings with officials of the Public Authority of Agriculture Affairs and Fish Resources, and the Public Authority for Food and Nutrition in Kuwait resulted in approving the importation of Brazilian honey, and tackled the importation of Brazilian beef meat.
Dias said that her meetings also dealt with the issue of importing fish, which she described as a "little complicated" because of some Brazilian laws, hoping to resolve this issue from the Brazilian side within the next few months and open the fish-trading market.
She pointed out that the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture discussed, in an earlier visit years ago, the (fish farming) with the concerned authorities in Kuwait, in cooperation with the Brazilian agency for animal and agricultural research.
In response to a question about animals slaughter in accordance with Islamic law, she said that this is under the responsibility of specialized Islamic institutions in Brazil issuing special certificates that apply (Halal slaughter).
On the Amazon rain forest fires, she said that Brazil is one of the most countries working seriously to preserve the environment, noting to the Brazilian parliament's adoption of firm laws against those who commit crimes against forests.
She pointed out to the annual fires not only in the Amazon forests but worldwide, due to the dry season and cannot be controlled.
At the regional level, the Brazilian minister said the countries in the region are cooperating with Brazil in the field of agriculture and livestock extensively, pointing to Egypt, where Brazil was able to open a market for dairy products, in addition to Saudi Arabia.
Minister Dias' visit, which concluded on Thursday and lasted for three days, was accompanied by a delegation of officials of the Brazilian Food Authority and businessmen, in which they discussed ways of cooperation and joint investment, especially that Kuwait is one of the major importers of Brazilian food, headed by frozen chicken. (end) hjb.haq