Distinguished representatives of the media,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is my proud privilege to welcome the President of Brazil, Her Excellency Ms. Dilma Rousseff, to India on her first State Visit.

We have just completed very fruitful discussions. President Rousseff is a pioneer in many fields. She is the first Brazilian woman to be elected to the office of the President of her country. Her personal zeal and commitment to democracy, human rights and upliftment of the downtrodden are well known. I have conveyed to her our deep admiration of her work and her achievements. I congratulated her on receiving an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Delhi.

India and Brazil represent diverse, multi-ethnic, vibrant democracies. We are both committed to creating an international order that facilitates our efforts at poverty eradication and social development. We have emerged as new growth poles of the evolving global economy. We deeply value our cooperation in various multilateral and plurilateral forums including the Fourth BRICS Summit that was held yesterday. President Rousseff and I have agreed to enhance our consultations on reform of global governance system, particularly in the context of the reforms of the United Nations and in the G-20 process. We have agreed to step up our efforts, particularly towards the reform of the United Nations Security Council as G-4 partners.

We also agreed on the importance of IBSA and noted our cooperation in third countries through the IBSA process.

President Rousseff and I exchanged views on various global developments. Our perspectives are marked by a high degree of convergence. We are convinced that a resolution to the crisis in West Asia can only be achieved through dialogue and consultations.

India and Brazil share common perspectives on environmental issues. Brazil will be hosting the important Rio+20 Conference on sustainable development in June this year. I informed the President of our full support to make this event a success.

Our bilateral Strategic Partnership has strengthened and deepened enormously. President Rousseff and I have undertaken a comprehensive review of our relations, including the work of the inter-governmental Joint Commission Meeting which met last December in New Delhi. We directed our officials to take specific steps to exploit the full potential in areas such as trade, education, science and technology, environment, defence, space and nuclear energy.

Bilateral trade and investment flows have grown by leaps and bounds. Yet, the President and I are in full agreement that these can be enhanced even further. We agreed to take measures to promote greater business interaction.

The reconstitution of the India-Brazil CEO’s Forum is a first step in this regard.

Our two countries face similar challenges in promoting inclusive growth. Brazil has been successfully implementing various social welfare programmes that hold relevance for India’s situation as well. We agreed to exchange experiences in this field.

I conveyed to H.E. the President our interest in her innovative initiative “Science without Borders,’ aimed at upgrading scientific and technological talent. We look forward to receiving Brazilian students in our institutes of science and engineering.

The President and I underscored the need to enhance cultural and people-to-people ties. The Cultural Exchange Programme that was signed today will facilitate such interactions.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am convinced that it is in our interest, and in the interest of the world, to deepen the Strategic Partnership between India and Brazil in every possible way. I look forward to working closely with President Dilma Rousseff in this endeavour.

Thank you very much.