Xinhua | 16 April 2010

IBSA countries sign agreements on scientific areas

Representatives from India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA) on Thursday signed two agreements on scientific cooperation, in Brazilian capital Brasilia.

The governments of the three countries agreed to promote cooperation for development, which is the basis of the group formation, through the commercial utilization of solar energy.

In this sense, they decided to encourage the exchange of information on this matter and the conclusion of agreements between institutions in the three countries, subsequently leading to the adoption of a common regulatory framework.

The respective agreement highlights the importance of encouraging technology transfer and technical skills among IBSA countries, group created in 2003. The governments of the three nations will select within two months the institutions responsible for carrying out the agreement in each country.

Current trilateral document will help science and technology bilateral agreements between Brazil and India, Brazil and South Africa and India and South Africa, to become more important and active.

Similarly, the Ministers of Science and Technology of the three countries have held several meetings with each other, such as the one in New Delhi in 2004, in Rio de Janeiro in 2005 and in Angra dos Reis in 2006, so the agreement on scientific cooperation departs from an existing base.

The main tools for the implementation of the agreement will be frequent exchange of scientists and researchers and organization of seminars and conferences. Priority areas chosen are biotechnology, nanotechnology, health sciences, alternative and renewable energy, oceanography, information technology and communication and indigenous knowledge.

To reach these goals, a Joint Working Group was created, which will be responsible for the practical implementation of the agreements adopted.