Renata Giraldi     Reporter Agência Brasil

Brasília – President Dilma Rousseff begins a two-day official visit to India today after participating in the BRICS summit (with the presidents of Russia, Dmitri Medvedev; China, Hu Jintao and South África, Jacob Zuma; along with the prime minister of Índia, Manmohan Singh, the head of the country’s government). At the end of the summit, Dilma invited the BRICS heads of state and government to the Rio + 20 Conference on Sustainable Development (in June), calling on them to actively participate in the event and work toward an international model for the next 20 years based on a green economy, with better quality of life and less poverty around the world. 

Today she will participate in a ceremony at the Mahatma Ghandi memorial. There will also be a meeting with the prime minister for the signing of agreements. Dilma will also be present at the closing ceremony of a business seminar (some 110 Brazilian business leaders are in India with her). Brazil is especially interested in partnership ventures with India in the areas of science, technology and innovation. A number of times in her comments during the trip, Dilma has referred to the similar problems Brazil and India face in improving the quality of life and combating poverty.

This evening Dilma will be the guest of honor at a dinner hosted by the country’s head of state, the president of India, Pratibha Patil.

Allen Bennett – translator/editor The News in English

Link - Em visita oficial à Índia, Dilma deposita flores no Memorial de Mahatma Gandhi

Link - Dilma convida integrantes do Brics para a Rio+20