Renata Giraldi        Reporter Agência Brasil

Brasília – At the beginning of the month, Brazil’s foreign minister, Antonio Patriota, traveled to Turkey where president Dilma Rousseff is scheduled to arrive in October. Turkey has become a central player in the crisis-ridden Middle East (having joined Brazil in an unsuccessful bid to resolve the Iranian nuclear program last year). It has also moved quickly to participate in the "Arab Spring," with the prime minister making visits to both Egypt and Libya.

Bilateral Brazil-Turkey trade reached over $1.5 billion in the first half of this year and is growing strongly. The two countries’ trade is concentrated in chemicals, home appliances and auto parts.

While he is in Ankara, Patriota will met with the president of Turkey, Abdullah Gül, and the minister of Foreign Relations, Ahmet Davutoğlu.

It is believed that Dilma will travel from Turkey to Bulgaria, the country her father came from and where she has some long lost relatives.

At the moment, president Dilma Rousseff is in New York for the opening of the United Nations General Assembly this week (September 16) where Brazil is traditionally the first nation to address the opening session. She will be the first women to open the assembly.

According to Itamaraty, Dilma intends to finish visiting all the countries in South America before the end of the year.

Allen Bennett – translator/editor The News in English - updated with additional information

Link - Patriota chega amanhã à Turquia para preparar visita de Dilma