BRASILIA. April 17 (Interfax) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Luiz Iecker Vieira are holding talks in the Brazilian capital.
The meeting is taking place at the Foreign Ministry. An honor guard greeted the Russian minister at the ministry's entrance.
Later the talks continued in an enlarged format. Lavrov thanked his hosts for the "traditional Brazilian hospitality."
Russia very much appreciates the mutual desire to "develop our economic relations, humanitarian ones, to expand the practice of cultural exchanges, to develop relations in the sphere of technologies and our military-technical cooperation," Lavrov said.
Some issues remain unresolved, but that is because the new Brazilian government aims to build cooperation with other nations, he said.
Meanwhile, the two sides will "move on to agree the [meeting] dates of the intergovernmental commission on trade, economic cooperation, the political cooperation commission," culminating in a "meeting of our high-level commission co-chaired by our heads of government," Lavrov said.
For his part, Vieira recalled that this year marks the 195th anniversary since the two countries established relations.
Following the talks, the two ministers are expected to make a press statement.
Later on Monday, Lavrov will be received by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and also meet the president's foreign policy advisor Celso Amorim.
Brazil is the first stop on the Russian foreign minister's visit to Latin America.