India and Brazil on Tuesday signed nine agreements and MoUs that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said would bring about a "qualitative transformation" in their relationship, including one for the football superpower to train Indian players and coaches.
All of them were signed in the beautiful presidential palace, set against a rolling landscape in the Brazilian capital, in the presence of Manmohan Singh and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Summing up the talks that he had with the Brazilian leader, Manmohan Singh called him a "world statesman" and said in his first visit to this country he was "leaving behind a part of his heart".
He said the two countries had agreed to start a "strategic dialogue" and said India wanted the relations between the big democracies of Asia and Latin America to be elevated to that of a "strategic partnership".
The deals span the areas of agriculture, science and technology, air services, human settlements, plant health protection, culture, standards, as well two commercial ones regarding oil exploration and mining.
A significant part of the culture agreement related to Brazil, the world's foremost football nation, agreeing to promote exchanges in the field of football and helping to train Indian players and coaches. India figures low down in the 130th position in the roster of football nations drawn up by the international soccer body FIFA.
{{/usCountry}}A significant part of the culture agreement related to Brazil, the world's foremost football nation, agreeing to promote exchanges in the field of football and helping to train Indian players and coaches. India figures low down in the 130th position in the roster of football nations drawn up by the international soccer body FIFA.
{{/usCountry}}