Sao Tome and Principe: Petrobras, Galp and Sonangol consortium created “soon”, says foreign minister [ 2009-01-22 ]
Brasilia, Brazil, 22 Jan - The creation of an oil consortium in Sao Tome involving Brazil’s Petrobras, Galp of Portugal and Angola’s Sonangol could soon go ahead, the archipelago’s foreign minister, Carlos Tiny, said Wednesday.
Tiny told the Lusa news agency at the end of a Brazil visit that the petroleum joint venture “is on the table and is being worked on to be wrapped up shortly.”
Previous Sao Tome governments have planned the creation of a consortium of firms from Portuguese-speaking states for exploration ventures in the islands’ exclusive economic zone.
In April 2008, Sao Tome’s then prime minister, Patrice Trovoada, said the close cultural ties between the Lusophone states would “facilitate the deal.”
Carlos Tiny said a number of Brazilian oil sector delegations are expected in Sao Tome in the first half of this year. Sao Tomean Prime Minister Rafael Branco will also travel to Brazil during the same period.
Tiny held talks in Brasilia with counterpart Celso Amorim and the minister of the special secretariat for fisheries, Altemir Gregolin, as well as officials from other ministries and bodies.
Two bilateral accords were inked during Tiny’s visit, including one to fund another stage of the Solidarity Literacy program that has already benefited over 10,000 islanders in Sao Tome since 2001.
Another pact was signed in the fisheries sector to give new impetus to three strategic sectors in Sao Tome – food security, infrastructures, water and power, and tourism. (macauhub)
