By IANS,
New Delhi : India and Brazil, two major developing nations seeking permanent membership in a reformed UN Security Council, Monday held “candid” discussions on their bilateral cooperation and regional security during the official visit of Brazilian Defence Minister Celso Amorim here.
Amorim met Indian Defence Minister A.K. Antony when “both leaders held candid discussions on bilateral defence cooperation and regional security issues,” an Indian defence ministry spokesperson said here.
But no further explanation was given on what “candid” discussion meant.
Amorim, accompanied by senior officials from his ministry in the South American nation, is on a visit to India Feb 4-8.
From the national capital, the Brazilian defence minister will travel to Bangalore to get a first-hand experience of the operations of the public sector defence undertaking Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
The two nations are part of the G4 alliance, along with Germany and Japan, that is pushing for an expanded United Nations Security Council with them as permanent members.
The two nations also partner in a tri-nation South-South grouping, IBSA or India-Brazil-South Africa, that connects the peoples of three important nations from Asia, South America and Africa. Under IBSA, India and Brazil already hold annual trilateral naval exercises off the South African coast to achieve inter-operability.
Brazil’s aerospace industry also has close relations with the Indian counterparts. India uses Brazilian Embraer aircraft for indigenous airborne early warning and control systems.
India and Brazil share common concerns and interests and have a strategic partnership.
Previous Brazilian defence minister, Nelson Jobim, had visited India from March 10 to 14, 2010.