Brazilian president in India to push ties

NEW DELHI: Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was scheduled to meet top Indian leaders on Monday to forge closer strategic and trade ties between the emerging economic powerhouses.   

Lula arrived in New Delhi on Sunday along with a delegation of about 100 ministers, officials and businessmen for a three-day visit -- his second in three years.   

The Brazilian president was due to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, President Abdul Kalam and Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Monday.   

The talks are expected to push business and energy ties and cooperation on  issues such as global trade, expansion of the United Nations Security Council and climate change.   

"The international community regards both of our countries as indispensable actors in reshaping the economic order as well as international politics," Lula wrote in an article published in The Hindu newspaper over the weekend.   

New Delhi and Brasilia are the leaders of a group of 20 developing nations who want rich countries to cut farm subsidies in the current round of World Trade Organisation talks.   

The talks, named after the Qatar capital of Doha, where they were launched in 2001, are aimed at boosting trade between developed and developing nations, particularly concerning farm products from poorer nations.   

But they have stalled over allegations that rich countries have not cut subsidies and tariffs enough to allow countries such as India and Brazil to get market access.   

India and Brazil also make up the group of four, along with Germany and Japan, seeking permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council.   

After a visit last year by Singh to Brazil, "the bilateral relations have been upgraded to a strategic partnership," India's foreign ministry said in a statement.   

The two countries, along with South Africa, formed the trilateral India-Brazil-South Africa Dialogue Forum (IBSA) in 2003 to promote the interests of their emerging markets.    

The three strengthened their relations further at the first summit last year.   

Brazil, which taps into its huge sugar cane production to produce ethanol for cars, has offered to help India develop the alternative fuel.   

"We are endeavouring to forge a genuine energy revolution," Lula wrote.   

The Brazilian leader also stressed cooperation on pharmaceuticals to fight AIDS and tuberculosis.   

This month Brazil broke a patent by US-based Merck on AIDS drug Efavirenz, which Lula said in the article would make way for the purchase of cheaper generic drugs from India.   

Singh and Lula will also meet business leaders of the two countries. Bilateral agreements are likely to be signed to boost trade, which totalled 2.4 billion dollars in 2006.