MOSCOW/RIO DE JANEIRO, October 18 (RIA Novosti) - Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet with his Brazilian counterpart Luis Inacio Lula da Silva in Moscow Tuesday to discuss trade and sign a contract on sending Brazil's first astronaut to space, a Kremlin official said.
"Russia is energetically promoting expanded cooperation in such areas as mining, energy, metallurgy, forestry, agriculture, transportation, construction and the modernization of sea and river ports," the source said.
Brazil is one of Russia's largest trade and economic partners in Latin America with bilateral trade turnover exceeding $2 billion this year.
"I hope we will strengthen the partnership between Russia and Brazil," the Brazilian president told news conference before he left for Moscow. "We would like to show Brazil's potential and explain that we can establish solid partnership relations through legislative amendments."
After the summit, Russia and Brazil will also sign a contract on the launch of a Brazilian astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS). Lieutenant Colonel Marcos Pontes is scheduled to take off on board a Russian Soyuz spacecraft on March 22, 2006.
"Russia and Brazil are steadily moving toward a 'technological alliance' in the sphere of peaceful space exploration, biotechnology, energy, including nuclear energy, aircraft manufacturing and military-technical cooperation," the Kremlin official said.
The Russian and Brazilian leaders are also expected to discuss current international issues.
