Brasília, March 4, 2004 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The Ministers of Foreign Relations of Brazil, South Africa, and India are meeting in New Delhi (India) to give continuity to the project for the creation of one great free trade area. The three countries will identify areas of cooperation, negotiate a more intense tripartite trade, and establish partnerships in development projects that can later be repeated in other countries, like the United Nations Development Program.

The Brazilian government is interested in creating this area, called the G-3, mainly because the group would comprise three large democracies that hold important positions on their continents and can act together on international issues and encourage the democratization of the international system, as the Minister of Foreign Relations, Celso Amorim, has affirmed.

Brazil, South Africa, and India have called for strengthening the United Nations and reforming the Security Council, and they have demonstrated interest in maintaining cooperation in the areas of security, public health, particularly the fight against Aids, and drug-trafficking. In addition, they intend to establish closer relations between cooperation projects in various areas, such as technology and energy, and expand them to the Mercosur and the customs unions of South Africa and India.

The second trilateral meeting of the India, Brazil, and South Africa Dialogue Forum (IBAS) is being held in New Delhi, at the invitation of the Indian government. The first meeting was held in Brasília in February, when a work program was decided for the IBAS. Eight work groups were created in the areas of science and technology, social affairs, health, defense, education, civil aviation, transportation, and energy. The meeting ends on Friday (5). (DAS)