Addis Ababa — Prime Minister Haile-Mariam Dessalegn held talks yesterday with a 12-member delegation led by Lula da Silva, former President of Brazil.

On the occasion da Silva said that Ethiopia is expected to provide support towards success of the International Conference on African Food Security to be held here in March 2013.

He said as it is considered as model in registering rapid economic growth in the efforts to ensure food security in Africa, Ethiopia needs to contribute a lot in this regard.

FAO Director-General Graziano da Silva told journalists after the discussion that leaders of Ethiopia and Brazil have agreed for Brazilian companies to invest in Ethiopia in the agriculture, energy and mining sectors.

Ethiopia and Brazil have good diplomatic relations and the delegation discussed with Prime Minister Haile-Mariam to further boost the existing ties between the two countries.

Haile-Mariam said that his country is ready to provide the necessary support towards the success of the conference.

He also said the conference will be a forum for Brazil to share its experiences, according to the Director-General for the Americas with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Taye Atske-Selassie.