Hollande in Brazil to Ramp up Ties
French President Francois Hollande, flanked by a strong business delegation, Thursday kicked off a two-day visit to Brazil aiming to boost economic and political ties with a key Latin American partner.
Accompanied by eight ministers, Hollande was to meet President Dilma Rousseff in Brasilia and later in the day with ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Hollande's visit, coming exactly a year after Rousseff's trip to Paris, aims to strengthen the "strategic partnership" between the two countries, according to Hollande's office, which hailed a surge in bilateral trade and investments.
France is the fifth biggest investor in Brazil, where around 600 French companies have set up shop and bilateral trade totals $8.8 billion.
A Brazilian foreign ministry official said: "France is one of Brazil's key partners. We have this level of cooperation with very few countries."
Several contracts are to be signed, including relating to French energy firm Total's participation in exploration of the huge ultra-deepwater Libra oil field and the supply of a $550 million civilian-military telecommunications satellite by French-Italian firm Thales Alenia Space.
France's nuclear energy giant Areva is meanwhile to sign a contract worth more than $1.37 billion to build a third reactor at the Angra nuclear power plant in Rio de Janeiro state.
No decision is expected on France's bid to sell its Rafale fighter jet. Brazil is looking to buy 36 multi-purpose jets to modernize its air force -- a multi-billion-dollar deal -- and the issue has been at the center of bilateral talks in recent years.
Hollande was also expected to brief Rousseff on France's military intervention to stop sectarian violence in the Central African Republic, a former French colony.
Brasilia has warned Paris against succumbing to "old colonial temptations."
Late Thursday, Hollande was to travel to Sao Paulo, Brazil's economic capital, where he was scheduled to meet Brazilian business leaders Friday before flying to neighboring French Guiana.
In Sao Paulo, six months before the kickoff of the football World Cup, the French leader was to award the Legion d'honneur, France's highest decoration, to retired football star Rai Souza Vieira de Oliveira.
Rai, as he was known, had a brilliant career with Paris Saint-Germain in the 1990s.
Source: Agence France Presse
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