RIO DE JANEIRO, February 18 (RIA Novosti) - Cooperation between Brazil and Russia is expanding in all sectors, the Brazilian minister of development, industry and foreign trade said Saturday.
Luiz Fernando Furlan, speaking to foreign journalists in Rio, said: "Bilateral relations between Brazil and Russia are consistently developing, and stimulating growth in trade via BRIC [a trade coalition of Brazil, Russia, India, and China]."
The four BRIC countries, all emerging markets with large populations and territories, signed a trade and cooperation agreement in 2002.
The Brazilian government considers BRIC to be a priority area for developing economic and trade links, the minister said.
Furlan said he was satisfied with the results of the recent talks in Davos with Economic Development and Trade Minister German Gref, at which the ministers signed a final bilateral protocol on Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization. The Brazilian minister said he hoped that the themes addressed at these talks would be put forward at the upcoming top-level intergovernmental commission in Brazil.
Earlier in February, Russian energy giant Gazprom held talks in Rio with Brazil's largest oil and natural gas producer, Petrobras, and agreed to share expertise in the gas sector and study avenues of cooperation.
