Brasília - President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will be in the United Kingdom between March 6 and 9, on a state visit at the invitation of Queen Elizabeth II, which means he will stay at Buckingham Palace. This will be the third state visit by a Brazilian president (Ernesto Giesel in 1976 and Fernando Henrique Cardoso in 1997 also made such visits to England). Lula has already been in England twice; in 2003 for a Progressive Governance Summit, and in 2005 as a guest at a G-8 summit.

Brazil and the United Kingdom will sign cooperation agreements in the areas of education, poverty combat, science and technology, health, sustainable development promotion, climate change and artistic production. The two countries will also set up a committee to promote the further expansion of bilateral trade now worth US$4 billion annually.

Lula will meet with government authorities and business leaders. With the latter he will discuss investment opportunities in Brazil.

During talks with prime minister, Tony Blair, discussions will be focused on UN reform, aid for Haiti, and the Doha Round trade talks, with special emphasis on an end to farm subsidies which Brazil has been pushing for. "Within the European Union, the English are probably closest to the Brazilian position on farm subsidies and other Doha Round agriculture issues," says Antonio Patriota, a diplomat from the Foreign Ministry.

Translation: Allen Bennett