Although Russia maintains its suspension of Brazilian meat imports, Russians and Brazilians agreed on one thing: Business between the two countries must be diversified. Vice-President José Alencar participated today in the inauguration of a seminar attended by approximately 100 Brazilian and Russian entrepreneurs in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
According to Alencar, the Brazilian government has an interest in cooperation agreements in the energy sector. According to the Ministry of Foreign Relations, Petrobras has encouraged Russian companies to bid for contracts to exploit petroleum in Brazil.
Brazilians also want to sell fruit and bank software to the Russians. In Saint Petersburg, the naval sector is one of the areas of interest to Brazil.
Brazil’s federal government also wants the Russians to become better acquainted with Brazil.
During the seminar, the Director of the Ministry of Foreign Relations’ Department of Trade Promotion, Ambassador Mário Vilalva, presented the positive achievements of the country’s economy.
As an example, Vilalva cited the fact that Brazil earned US$ 121 billion last year from its trade with other nations.
For the Vice-President, the lack of information between the two countries has constituted an obstacle to negotiations.
“[Russian] President Putin is going to Brazil next month. We spoke with him, yesterday, for him to take a large delegation of entrepreneurs and experts. We need Russia to become familiar with Brazil. Nobody can like something that is unfamiliar,” Alencar affirms.
The Executive Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Amauri Dimárzio, availed himself of the opportunity to explain once again that the case of hoof and mouth disease reported in the state of Amazonas – the incident that provoked the Russian embargo – doesn’t affect the meat exported to Russia.
Alencar also met with the President of the Saint Petersburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Vladimir Katenev. October 14, the Brazilian mission proceeds to Bucharest, the capital of Romania.
Agência Brasil
Translator: David Silberstein
