Staff writer Denise Mota
Aiming to increase commerce and tourism between the Caribbean and the Amazon, Brazilian State of Pará and Martinique government have been maintaining talks on partnerships, mainly in transport and energy sectors.
In a visit to Pará, Martinique´s president, Serge Letchimy, met local authorities in order to evaluate bilateral projects such as biomass and gas importation to generate energy to the island, pharmacological investigations and timber processing.
“We have 450,000 inhabitants, a dynamic and well educated people. We are totally linked to France and, as a consequence, to European Union, so we could be an entrance door to these countries in their commercial relationship to Pará”, said Herve Laureotte, president of the chamber of commerce of Martinique, at the Industries Federation of Pará.
In May, state governor, Simão Jatene, will travel to Martinique in order to sign up a cooperation agreement between Pará and the Caribbean island.
Beautiful Martinique
One of the most important issues being discussed is the possibility of building an alternative road in the Amazon-Caribbean route, as a means that European or Chinese products, for instance, can arrive to both places without having to pass through São Paulo. This would make it “cheaper and faster” to import and export goods, according to Letchimy.
Another commitment is to create demands that can justify such a route, just like what happens, for instance, concerning sea transport and minerals commerce in Brazil, in which Vila do Conde port, in Pará, has an important role.
Last year, the French island had already been in Pará, in a search for alternative sources of energy.
Read the Portuguese version here
