P.M. heads to Brazil

Prime Minister Said Musa will have a week to forget about the nation’s financial woes as on Sunday he departed Belize on an official visit to Brazil. While in that country Musa will hold discussions with President Luis Ignacio de Silva, focussing on cooperation in agriculture, specifically sugar cane and ethanol technology, as well as soybean production and processing. The P.M. is accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs Godfrey Smith, Minister of Health Vildo Marin, and C.E.O. in the Ministry of National Development, Hugh O’Brien. The delegation will return to Belize over the weekend.

Meanwhile, today in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S. President George Bush addressed the annual meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of American States. Bush spoke in favour of expanding democracy in the region, and singled out Cuba as the hemisphere’s sole exception to democratic rule. He also used the opportunity to call on the U.S. Congress to approve the Central American Free Trade Agreement. With Foreign Minister Godfrey Smith in Brazil, Belize was represented by Minister of National Development Assad Shoman.