Brazil’s Minister of Development, Industry, and Foreign Trade, Luiz Fernando Furlan, declared this Tuesday, March 7, that one of the purposes of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s state visit to the United Kingdom is to induce the British to invest more in Brazil.
Furlan was referring to the creation of a bilateral commission to stimulate trade and investments. Trade between the two countries amounted to US$ 4 billion last year.
"The British have proposed setting up a joint commission to promote trade and investments, as they did with India. The terms have already been settled, and there will be periodic meetings to implement the agreement," commented Furlan, who is a member of the Brazilian entourage accompanying the President on his state visit.
According to Furlan, the commission will be similar to ones that exist between Brazil and Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
On Wednesday, March 8, in London, President Lula will participate in the closing ceremony of a business seminar on investment opportunities in Brazil.
The Brazilian delegation also includes ministers Antônio Palocci (Finance), Fernando Haddad (Education), Gilberto Gil (Culture), Matilde Ribeiro (Promotion of Racial Equality), and Celso Amorim (Foreign Relations), as well as special presidential international affairs advisor, Marco Aurélio Garcia, and the president of the National Economic and Social Development Bank (BNDES), Guido Mantega.
Agência Brasil