Brazil, Russia cabinet meeting in Moscow takes stock of ties

Brazilian Vice President Michel Temer and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev headed an inter-governmental commission meet on 16 September 2015 in Moscow [Xinhua]

Brazil is in talks with Russia to purchase the advanced Pantsir-S1 air defense systems and negotiations are expected to be completed next year, said Brazilian Vice President Michel Temer in Moscow.

Brazil already uses the Russian Mi-35M helicopters.

Temer and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev headed an inter-governmental commission meet on Wednesday where the two sides inked several cooperation agreements.

Temer, along with his Cabinet colleagues, also attended a Russian-Brazilian business forum in Moscow. At least 400 business representatives from the two countries met during the two-day event, Brazilian officials said.

Russia and Brazil are aiming for a trade turnover of $10 billion. Bilateral trade reached $6.3 billion in 2014.

“Brazil is our strategic partner in Latin America. Our relations are based on a long history, mutual respect and trust. We have a shared vision of the current situation in international relations. We work together in various international formats, including BRICS,” Medvedev said during the meeting.

He, however, admitted to “some fluctuations” in trade, adding that “some of which are linked with raw material prices and the economic situation, but we have good potentialities for restoring the growth rates we had before”.

The two sides on Wednesday inked a contract for the stationing and operation of an SM-GLONASS automatic measuring station in Brazil’s southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul.

“In the space industry there is an active partnership between the Brazilian Space Agency and [Russian space agency] Roscosmos with the goal of detecting the so-called ‘space debris,’ as well as having Brazil use the Russian navigation system Glonass,” the Brazilian Vice President said.

Russia currently operates two ground stations in Brazil and a third facility is planned for the fourth quarter of 2015.

“Russian-Brazilian technological alliance will be based on nuclear energy and aerospace projects,” said Medvedev.

Glonass, a global navigation system operated by the Russian Aerospace Defense Forces, currently consists of 28 satellites, allowing real-time positioning and speed data for surface, sea and airborne objects around the world.

Russia and China had signed a joint statement in May this year on the joint operation of Russia’s GLONASS and China’s BeiDou navigations systems, challengers to the US’ GPS.

Meanwhile, Brazil and Russia on Wednesday also signed a memorandum of understanding between Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation and Brazil’s Nuclebrás Equipamentos Pesados (NUCLEP).

Brazil and Russia are also in the initial stage of discussions on settling trade in their respective currencies cutting out the US dollar, Deputy Economic Development Minister Alexei Likhachev said.

Brazil has become one of Russia’s major suppliers of agricultural and food products, said the Russian Premier during talks with Brazilian ministers in Moscow.

Russia is a major consumer of Brazilian meat, with 64 per cent of Brazil’s meat export heading to the Russian market, claimed Brazilian Vice President Temer.

Russia has insisted on Brazil delivering ractopamine-free pork, an issue that was discussed during Wednesday’s inter-governmental meet.

“We don’t want to see pork raised using growth stimulants, especially American ractopamine, on our market”, Russian food watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor spokesman Aleksey Alekseenko told Russian news agencies.

Russia and China had barred pork imports from the US to enforce their ban on the use of a feed additive that promotes lean muscle growth.

China currently requires third party verification that US pork shipped to the country is free of the additive ractopamine, which is sold for hog farm use under the name Paylean.

Medvedev had in June signed a government decree on extending countermeasures against countries that have imposed sanctions against Russia.

Following the near total food imports ban imposed by Russia on the US and certain EU nations, BRICS exports to Russia are growing substantially, data revealed last year.

After 90 new meat plants in Brazil were recently approved to send beef, chicken and pork to Russia, Brazilian meat exports to the country has soared.

Chinese company Baorong has also opened a special customs zone for Russia for direct exports of fruits and vegetables across the Russia-China border following the EU ban.

 

TBP and Agencies