EEZ News: Sao Tome and Principe: Government wants Brazilian oil company to be part of consortium for exclusive Sao Tome area [ 2009-01-16 ]
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 16 Jan – Sao Tome’s Foreign Affairs minister, Carlos Tiny said Thursday in Rio de Janeiro that it was possible that Brazilian state oil company Petrobras would be part of a consortium to be created with Portugal’s Galp and Angola’s Sonangol for exploration of Sao Tome’s exclusive area.
After a meeting with the international business department of Petrobras in Rio de Janeiro, Tiny said that the Sao Tome government was still at an initial stage of talks with the Brazilian oil company but that, “there are routes open to take more concrete steps,” over the next two years.
In his turn, the Brazilian ambassador in Sao Tome and Principe, Manuel Inocêncio Santos, said he believed it was “perfectly possible” that Petrobras would be involved on several levels and not only being part of the consortium.
The Brazilian government, according to the diplomat, has experience in dealing with many of the problems that Sao Tome and Principe faces and could contribute in the areas of education, namely by training teachers and promoting literacy, and in health, in programmes to combat malaria.
As part of a strategic partnership with Brazil, ambassador Inocêncio dos Santos said that it was important for Brazil to be involved in the cycle of development on which Sao Tome is focusing over the next few years.
The Minister also met Thursday with Brazil’s National Oil Agency (ANP) to assess the future prospects of support for creating the infrastructures of the Sao Tome oil regulating agency.
The visit to Brazil aims to make preparations for a visit to Brazil by the Prime Minister of Sao Tome and Principe, Rafael Branco, due to take place in the current quarter. (macauhub)
