EU to host first summit with Brazil--English

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The European Union (EU) is to host its first summit with Brazil on Wednesday in Lisbon of Portugal, aiming to launch the strategic partnership between the two, the European Commission (EC) announced on Tuesday.

EC President Jose Manuel Durao Barroso and Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates, whose country has just handed in the EU presidency, and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will participate in the summit.

A press release issued by the EU's executive arm said the summit will be the occasion for the EU to engage with Brazil in a broader dialogue on global, regional and bilateral issues of common strategic interest and to discuss how to build up the Strategic Partnership.

In its proposal of May 30, 2007, the EC encouraged Brazil to cooperate closely with the EU on global challenges such as tackling poverty and inequality, environmental issues, sustainable energy resources, enhancing stability and prosperity in Latin America and co-operation on regional integration with Mercosur.

"This first summit is a historic step in our relations with Brazil," Barroso said in a written statement.

"The strategic partnership is about facing each other as global partners and to raise the level of our co-operation in a host of areas of common interests. By increasing our joint efforts with Brazil, we can make a difference in global debates on poverty or climate change," he added.

According to the EC, EU Commissioners for External Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner and Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, Portuguese Minister for Foreign Affairs Luis Filipe Marques Amado and Brazilian Minister for Foreign Affairs Celso Luiz Amorim will also participate in the summit.

"This is a milestone, the culmination of a long-standing relationship which we have carefully built over many years," said Ferrero-Waldner.

"This new chapter in our relationship will allow us to unlock its full potential for the benefit of the European and Brazilian people," she added.

The EC said the summit should also offer an occasion to express a joint determination to conclude the EU-Mercosur Association Agreement.

In the meantime, the European and Brazilian business community will hold the first EU-Brazil Business Round Table bringing together business leaders from both sides of the Atlantic.

Source: Xinhua

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