Vladimir Putin: Dear Mr President!
This time, allow me to warmly greet you to Moscow.
My colleagues and I well remember the warm welcome you gave us in Brazil last year. I should say that since that time our relations in almost all fields are developing very intensely. The volume of trade is growing at a significant rate. Depending on the calculations, it is already at two or slightly more than two billion dollars. This is both creating jobs and increasing the living standards for a significant number of Russian and Brazilian citizens.
We welcome your independent foreign policy and I will point out the high level of our contacts in the arena of international cooperation. Most importantly, we are diversifying our relations including in the field of high-tech, namely in biotechnology and space exploration.
In general, the volume of our cooperation is increasing and I think that your visit will act as yet another good impulse for our relations' development.
Welcome Mr President!
Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva (translated from Russian): Mr President, it is a great pleasure for me to be in Russia after your visit to our country.
Secondly, I firmly believe that regarding cooperation in the international arena, Brazilian foreign policy takes into account the strategic partnership that we are developing with your country. I think that we have not yet reached our full potential for cooperation in areas such as industrial production, trade and economic relations. Our foreign policy is constructed first and foremost in the interests of all developing countries, so that they can lower their dependence on the foreign policies of the United States and the European Union. We have done what we thought would be impossible; we have constructed a South American community of nations.
We have also strengthened our relations with African countries. A summit that took place between Middle Eastern and South American countries was a great success.
Now we are preparing for a summit in Nigeria between the heads of African countries and those of South America. That said, we are not embarking in any contradictions with either the United States or the European Union.
The volume of trade of South American countries has grown by 83 percent over the last few years. Certainly, your country fits in the system of mutual relations which we are building with our South American neighbours.
We are doing everything so that our ministers and entrepreneurs could benefit from the opportunities that we can best use through joint efforts.