Bonding with Brazil

India and Brazil have further forged their economic bonds by extending cooperation in a vast range of areas, including energy and biofuels during the recent visit to India of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. President Lula, accompanied by a high level business delegation, held intensive discussions with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other government leaders and officials during his three-day visit from 3 to 5 June 2007.

During the visit the following agreements were signed:
• Agreement on Mutual Assistance in Customs Matters;
• Agreement on Audio Visual Coproduction;
• Implementing Arrangement regarding Cooperation in Augmentation of Brazilian Earth Station for Receiving and Processing data from Indian Remote Sensing Satellites;
• Academic Exchange Programme;
• MOU on India-Brazil CEOs Forum;
• Heads of Agreement between ONGC, OVL and Petrobras; and
• MOU between National Council for Applied Economic Research and Institute of Applied Economic Research of Brazil.
President Lula's visit follows, within a span of eight months, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Brazil in September 2006, is a reflection of the mutual commitment to develop and diversify bilateral relations in a comprehensive manner. It is also a reflection of the strength of the growing strategic partnership between the two countries.
Both sides reviewed the state of bilateral relations and expressed satisfaction at the pace at which mutually beneficial cooperation was developing. In particular, they welcomed the 3rd meeting of the India-Brazil Joint Commission held in April 2007, co-chaired by the Minister of External Relations of Brazil and the External Affairs Minister of India. The Joint Commission developed a work plan for the cross sectoral intensification of bilateral relations.
Prime Minister Singh and President Lula expressed particular satisfaction at the launching of the first meeting of the India-Brazil Strategic Dialogue that was co-chaired by M.K. Narayanan, National Security Advisor of India and Foreign Minister Celso Amorim of Brazil. That dialogue enabled both sides to review the state of cooperation and chart out a course for the future, inter alia, in the areas of space and nuclear energy for peaceful use.

Joint CEO Forum
The leaders underlined the importance of providing the strategic partnership with a solid economic underpinning. In that context they expressed satisfaction at the launching of the CEO Forum which is composed of senior representatives of industry on both sides and the trade target of US$10 billion by 2010. They stressed in the latter context the importance of simultaneously developing greater connectivity between the two countries and investment in each other's economies especially in the infrastructure sector.
Both sides agreed to launch joint campaigns in the years ahead for the development of bilateral trade and economic relations. They stressed that development of their economic partnership requires, inter alia, the early implementation of decisions taken at the 3rd Joint Commission Meeting. Within the parameters of their national laws, rules and regulations, both sides will facilitate participation in each other's economies by their entrepreneurs, businessmen, service professionals, scientists and technologists.
The leaders of the two countries emphasized the need for the early holding of the first meeting of the India-Brazil Defence Committee and early development of a programme of cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy consistent with their international obligations.
Both sides expressed satisfaction at the development of cooperation in the area of science & technology and look forward to the early adoption of the programme of cooperation for 2007-2010. They also welcomed the decision to cooperate in space sector applications that would help the developmental efforts of both countries.
The development of people to people exchanges and a better cultural appreciation of each other's traditions was identified as an area of particular focus. The two leaders welcomed the decision to hold the Festival of Brazilian Culture in India in January-March, 2008 and the Festival of Indian Culture in Brazil in July-September, 2008. They also urged that there should be greater exchange of tourists, students and youth between the two countries.

Oil and Gas
Both parties noted the progress reached in the partnership between Petrobras and Indian companies to explore, produce and trade oil, gas and derivatives in Brazil, India and elsewhere. They confirmed the understanding that both Governments will continue to encourage further cooperation between companies of the oil & gas sector in both countries.

Education
The two sides recognized the role of educational cooperation in strengthening bonds of friendship between India and Brazil and expressed interest in deepening the partnership between institutions of higher education in both countries.
Brazil and India have had a long tradition of fruitful cooperation in regional and multilateral fora including at the United Nations, WTO and the UNFCCC. This cooperation is a reflection of their common worldview and common socio-economic requirements.
Both sides stressed the need to promote the democratization of the structures of global governance by increasing the participation of developing countries in their decision-making bodies. In that regard, they reiterated their steadfast commitment to reforming and expanding the UN Security Council, with the inclusion especially of countries from all regions of the developing world as permanent members, in order to render it more democratic, legitimate and representative. They welcomed the new momentum on the debate on Security Council reform and expressed their readiness to participate in negotiations, together with the other G-4 partners, with a view to reaching a decision on this long-standing issue at the earliest. They reaffirmed their understanding that no reform of the United Nations will be complete without reform of the Security Council. They reiterated their support for each other's permanent membership in an expanded UNSC.

WTO Talks
In respect to the Doha Development Agenda, Prime Minister Singh and President Lula stressed the importance of close coordination between the two governments to effectively realize the development dimension in every aspect of the outcome of the negotiations. They reiterated the urgent need to successfully complete the Doha Round in order to promote the interests of developing countries in keeping with the Doha mandate and reaffirmed the commitment of their governments to continue to work closely together in the G-20 and NAMA-11. In agriculture, they recalled their commitment to an ambitious outcome in terms of elimination of distortions and subsidies in international trade in agriculture and the preservation of the food security, rural development and livelihood concerns of rural populations of developing countries. They also stressed the Hong Kong Declaration and the high ambition in market access in NAMA and reaffirmed that this ambition has to be achieved in a balanced and proportionate manner consistent with the principle of less than full reciprocity in reduction commitments.
Both sides reiterated the importance they attach to matters pertaining to climate change and agreed that the solution to the problem of climate change, which is essentially the outcome of the unsustainable production and consumption patterns in the developed world, can not lie in the perpetuation of poverty in developing countries. They agreed on the need to constructively discuss this important issue with all partners taking into account the specific developmental situation and requirements of developing countries and simultaneously working toward a greater share of clean and renewable energy sources in the global matrix, energy efficiency and energy security. Developing countries cannot accept approaches that impede growth and retard poverty alleviation obligations. They agreed that both sides would cooperate closely, along with other developing countries, at the UNFCCC and also within the framework of the Kyoto Protocol. The second meeting of the bilateral Working Group on Environment is to be held later in 2007 and would enable both sides to coordinate their positions to common benefit.

Biofuels Forum
Both sides expressed satisfaction with the launching of the International Biofuels Forum, in March, 2007. They reaffirmed their mutual interest in deepening cooperation in accordance with the work program created under the Memorandum of Understanding on Technological Cooperation in the Area of Mixing Ethanol with Gasoline, signed in 2002. President Lula reiterated the commitment of his Government to intensifying exchange of information with India on Brazil's Biofuels Program. Both sides favour the use of clean energies and will join efforts leading to the creation of an international market for ethanol that can contribute to the reduction of the world's dependence on fossil fuels.

Importance of IBSA
Both sides stressed the importance that they attach to IBSA, this unique forum of large, multi-ethnic, multi-racial and multi-religious developing countries of the three continents of Africa, Asia and Latin America that are closely linked by the common bonds and principles of pluralism and democracy. They recalled the successful IBSA Summit held in Brazil in September 2006 and look forward to taking stock of progress made and giving fresh direction for the evolution of the IBSA framework at the second Summit to be held in South Africa in October, 2007. The Ministerial Meeting of the Trilateral Commission of IBSA in India on 16-17 July, 2007 should ensure that preparations for the second Summit are meaningful and substantive. Both sides also noted that the development of cooperation in the IBSA framework would further strengthen bilateral linkages among the three countries.
President Lula and Prime Minister Singh used the opportunity of their meeting in New Delhi to have an in depth exchange of views on the forthcoming meeting of the G8 at Heiligendamm in Germany. They expressed satisfaction at the unity of approach that both sides had towards this important meeting and pledged to continue to cooperate in this forum.
The leaders of both sides reiterated the importance of ensuring socially inclusive economic growth in their countries. The Indian side expressed great appreciation for policies implemented by President Lula which have significantly impacted poverty reduction in Brazil. For its part, the Brazilian side expressed appreciation for the policies being implemented in India for poverty alleviation which have successfully lifted scores of millions from the poverty trap. Both sides stressed that these efforts must continue and an exchange of experiences and programmes between the two countries in respect of poverty alleviation would be of great benefit to each other. They also agreed that their experiences for enhancement of the quality of life of the most vulnerable sections of their population could be shared with other developing countries and the international community in the fight against hunger and poverty.
President Lula invited the President and Prime Minister of India to pay official visits to Brazil. The invitations were accepted with pleasure. Dates will be settled through diplomatic channels.
Both sides agreed that the State visit of President Lula to India had provided a decisive impetus to the further development of the strategic partnership between India and Brazil.