Moscow, October 15 (RIA Novosti) - The potential for trade and economic cooperation with Brazil is not being tapped to the full, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman said Saturday.
"There are considerable reserves, for instance, in eliminating the negative balance of payments in Russia's trade with Brazil," Mikhail Kamynin said Saturday, adding that the priority today was to expand Russian export, increasing the share of high-tech export products.
Kamynin said Brazil is Russia's second largest trading and economic partner in the Western Hemisphere, after the United States (the current volume of Russian-Brazilian trade is about $2 billion).
Another priority area is diversification of trade and economic and scientific and technical contacts, including in space research and cultural programs, the spokesman said.
Russia is considering "expanding cooperation in agriculture, the use of advanced technology, production of agricultural equipment and attracting Brazilian investment," Kamynin said, adding that Russian-Brazilian relations had in recent years acquired "positive dynamics and a high level of trust."
On the international arena, "Russia and Brazil are united by their shared striving to put in place a multipolar world order."
"In the political sphere, our two states are increasingly acting as ideological soul mates and natural allies at international forums, above all at the UN, including the Security Council, Brazil being its non-permanent member in 2004-2005," he said.
