By the Caribbean Journal staff

Brazil is stepping up its cooperation with the government of St Lucia, buoyed by a trade volume of around $3 billion per year between the two countries.

The two countries have negotiated for the deployment of technical teams from Brazil to St Lucia next month, a visit which will look to help the country develop policies for interventions in areas including agriculture, education, trade, tourism, youth development, health care, conservation and sport.

The two sides met in St Lucia this week to follow up on the agreement, with Foreign Minister Alva Baptiste holding talks with Brazilian Ambassador to St Lucia Joaquim Whitaker Salles.

The current volume of trade between St Lucia and Brazil currently stands at $3 billion, according to the government.

That number stems from a contract between Brazil-owned Petrobras and Hess Oil. It also makes St Lucia Brazil’s largest trading partner in the Caribbean.

“Trade between Brazil and St Lucia is really of significant volume that it causes people to be surprised,” the Brazilian envoy said. “Of course, we want to diversify the trade between our two countries and the opportunities for this are there.”