Japan, Brazil to offer joint farming support for Africa+

L'AQUILA, Italy, July 10 Kyodo -
Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da
Silva agreed Thursday to provide farming support for Africa to ensure food
security on the continent, Japanese government officials said.
Mozambique will be the first country to be covered by the joint project agreed
to between the two leaders, who met in the central Italian city of L'Aquila on
the sidelines of the Group of Eight summit, according to the officials.
Japan and Brazil plan to take advantage of their successful experience in past
joint efforts, having developed Brazil's Cerrado savanna area for farming, the
officials said.
Aso and Lula also agreed to begin negotiations toward concluding a social
security pact, which if realized would relieve Japanese businesspeople in
Brazil or Brazilians in Japan from double payments for pension premiums,
leading to more business exchanges between the two countries.
In their half-hour meeting, Aso explained Japan's Shinkansen bullet train
technologies to Lula. Brazil is considering introducing the technologies in its
planned services between Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo.
Aso and Lula also agreed to cooperate in promoting Japan's format for
terrestrial digital television broadcasting in South America. Brazil has
already decided to adopt the Japanese format.
Lula expressed his gratitude to Aso for his initiative in supporting Brazilian
residents in Japan of Japanese ancestry facing difficulties due to the global
economic crisis, the officials said.
Aso and Lula also shared a common view on the need to advance bilateral
relations and become strategic partners, the officials said.
==Kyodo