Brussels, 27/01/2011 (Agence Europe) - EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Catherine Ashton, met the new Brazilian foreign minister, Antonio Patriota, on Wednesday 26 January during his first official visit outside Latin America. In a press release, Ashton said they had discussed the new Brazilian government's foreign policy priorities and how to extend EU-Brazil relations. After the meeting, Patriota repeated his country's view that negotiations rather than sanctions should be used in dealing with the Iranian nuclear issue and expressed optimism about talks to establish a cooperation and free trade deal with Mercosur, according to an interview with Reuters. On the latter issue, Ashton and Patriota both noted the importance of reaching agreement in 2011. Quizzed by the media before the meeting, a spokesperson for Catherine Ashton repeated the European Commission's view that the dispute between Italy and Brazil over the Italian terrorist Battisti was a matter for the two countries in question to resolve and would therefore not be discussed at the meeting.
Ashton will make an official visit to Brazil in the spring. The next EU-Brazil summit will take place on Tuesday 4 October 2011 (M.B./transl.fl)