Brazil’s Vice President Hails Successful Bilateral Cooperation With Russia

Relations between Russia and Brazil had become "rich" not only in trade and economy, but also in what concerns politics and culture, Brazilian Vice President Michel Temer said in an interview with Sputnik.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Brazilian Vice President Michel Temer accessed the relations between Russia and Brazil "as more and more successful," telling Sputnik that bilateral cooperation is enjoying a boost in multiple spheres.

"One can say with all certainty that today we have rich relations with Russia not only in trade and economy, but also in what concerns politics and culture," Temer said.

On Wednesday, a delegation of high-ranking Brazilian officials, led by Temer, attended the second day of a Russian-Brazilian business forum in Moscow, which coincided with a high-level meeting of the countries' bilateral intergovernmental cooperation commission.

"At least 400 businessmen from Brazil and Russia met [at the forum]. Thus, in parallel with the contacts at the governmental level, there is active integration of private initiative on the Russian and Brazilian side," Temer told Sputnik.

According to the vice president, Russian businessmen are interested in a number of Brazilian projects, particularly those aimed at developing Brazil’s infrastructure.

Russia and Brazil are also enjoying active cooperation in the food, tourism and space industries, Temer said.

Russia is a major consumer of Brazilian meat, with 64 percent of Brazil’s meat export going to the Russian market, the vice president told Sputnik.

"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,’" Temer said.

The vice president added that Brazilian students and professionals will be able to take advantage of about a thousand job openings in Russia as part of the "Science Without Borders" program.

Russia and Brazil are also actively cooperating in the defense sphere. Brazil uses the Russian Mi-35M helicopters and is currently holding talks with Russia on the purchase of the advanced Pantsir-S1 air defense systems.

"The negotiating process is in its final phase now and we hope to complete it in 2016," Temer told Sputnik.

Both Russia and Brazil are founding members of BRICS, a club of developing economies, which also comprises India, China and South America.

Moscow has stepped up its cooperation with Latin American and BRICS countries in light of strained relations with the West that have deteriorated amid the Ukrainian conflict.

Brazilian Vice President Michel Temer told Sputnik that under a plan mapped out by Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Brazilian counterpart Dilma Rousseff, Russia and Brazil are aiming for a trade turnover of $10 billion.