Speaker of Russia's upper house to hold talks with Brazilian officials

BRASILIA, November 10. /TASS/. A delegation of the Federation Council, the upper house of Russian parliament led by speaker Valentina Matviyenko is making an official visit to Bazil where Matviyenko will have talks with Brazilian officials, including the President of the Federal Senate, Renan Calheiros, and the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Eduardo Cunha. The discussions will most likely focus on stepping up the activity of parliamentary groups of friendship and committees. Besides, the Russian and Brazilian members of parliament will raise the issues of collaboration in international formats, inter-parliamentary cooperation within BRICS, and the prospects for Russian-Brazilian relations in trade, the humanitarian sphere and culture. Valentina Matviyenko said earlier Brazil is a crucial strategic partner for Russia in Latin America and the two countries are building long-term partnership in a variety of spheres. She pointed out the degree of trust existing between Moscow and Brasilia. Andrei Kliahs, the chairman of the committee for constitutional law in the upper house who chairs the parliamentary group for cooperation with Latin America, told TASS cooperation with the Latin American states makes up a priority area of Russia's foreign policy. "We believe inter-parliamentary ties facilitate the strengthening of economic relations," he said on the eve of the visit. Read more