While receiving the visit of the president of India, Pratibha Patil, on Tuesday (15), the president of the Senate, Garibaldi Alves Filho, said he is confident that the presence of the Indian chief of state would contribute to improving bilateral, as well as parliamentary, relations. Garibaldi also supported the idea of creating a Brazil-India parliamentary group, proposed by India’s first minister, Manmohan Singh, in a recent meeting with the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Arlindo Chinaglia.

During his greeting speech to Patil, Garibaldi celebrated the convergence of positions between Brazil and India in many international bodies, including the Security Council of the United Nations. Like Brazil, India also seeks a seat on the council and advocates for its reform. 

- As it exists today, the council is unable to hold a balanced and inclusive view on the international order, that reflects the needs of the developing world. In our view, it is urgent to promote democracy in the framework of international bodies, and the reform of the United Nations will not be complete without changes in the Security Council – stated Garibaldi.

After Patil’s ellection, in 2007, president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva paid a visit to India’s capital, New Delhi. During the meeting, both leaders signed an agreement between Petrobras and the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation to participate in auctions for the exploration of oil in deep waters.

Currently India ranks fourth as Brazil’s greatest commercial partner in Asia, after Japan, China and South Korea. Brazil is India’s greatest partner in Latin America, with Mexico ranking second. 33 Indian companies are represented in Brazil, in the fields of pharmacy, chemistry, construction, information technology, oil and gas.