Following is the text of the joint communiqué issued by India and Brazil after talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva:
"At the invitation of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of the Federative Republic of Brazil, Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India, accompanied by a high level delegation, paid an official visit to Brazil from September 11-14.
During their bilateral meeting on September 12, the two leaders recalled the milestone visit of President Lula to India in January 2004 as the Chief Guest at the Republic Day ceremony.
Since then, bilateral relations have intensified and deepened. They acknowledged the significance and substantive importance of a bilateral visit to Brazil by an Indian prime minister after an interval of 38 years. Brazil and India recognize that their relationship has now reached the level of a strategic partnership.
President Lula and Prime Minister Singh reviewed the bilateral agenda and exchanged opinions on various issues of the international agenda, as well as on the political and economic situation in their regions. They reaffirmed their commitment to work towards a qualitative upgrading of the broad-based bilateral relationship between the two large democracies that share a multicultural and pluralistic ethos and common developmental aspirations.
An important outcome of the meeting was the decision to initiate a bilateral strategic dialogue covering regional and global issues of mutual concern such as energy security and the international security situation, including the menace of terrorism. This will be conducted by the national security advisor on the Indian side and the corresponding authorities in the Brazilian government.
{{/usCountry}}An important outcome of the meeting was the decision to initiate a bilateral strategic dialogue covering regional and global issues of mutual concern such as energy security and the international security situation, including the menace of terrorism. This will be conducted by the national security advisor on the Indian side and the corresponding authorities in the Brazilian government.
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