President Rousseff participates in EU-Brazil Summit

Brasilia, Oct 4. -President Dilma Rousseff participates in Brussels on Tuesday in the 5th EU-Brazil Summit, which will address economic and political issues of bilateral interest, and will also attend the inauguration of the festival Europalia.Europe has an important role in the situation in North Africa and the Middle East, said the Brazilian presidential spokesman, Rodrigo Baena, in a recent press conference at the Planalto Palace.

Baena said that in addition to political and diplomatic relations there has been a significant strengthening of the trade and economic ties between Brazil and the European Union, which currently is one of the centers of the international financial crisis.

Official data released by Baena show that Brazil is the fourth main destination for European investment, amounting to more than 180 billion dollars, only surpassed by the United States, Switzerland and Canada.

Baena said that while in 2010, European investment in Brazil totaled nine billion dollars, in the first seven months of this year totaled 23 billion.

Bilateral trade has also shown a significant increase, reaching 82 billion dollars last year with a surplus of four billion dollars to Brasilia.

Baena said that during the meeting both parties must sign agreements on air transport, space policy, science, technology and innovation, culture and tourism.

Besides participating in the Brazil-European Union Summit, Rousseff will attend the closing of the Forum Brazil-European Union and will be present at the inauguration of the 23rd international arts festival Europalia, which this year will pay tribute to Brazil.

Foreign Minister, Antonio Patriota, Minister of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, Fernando Pimentel and Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Aloizio Mercadante are part of the delegation accompanying Rousseff.

The delegation also consists of Communications Minister Paulo Bernardo, Culture Minister, Ana de Hollanda, and the chief minister of Social Communication Secretariat of the Presidency of Brazil, Helena Chagas.

At Tuesday night, Rousseff will travel to Sofia, Bulgaria, second stage of her European tour that will continue in Turkey. (Prensa Latina)