BRAZIL
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the present state of political, cultural, trade and military relations with Brazil; and if he will make a statement. [138395]
Mr Swire, Minister of State: Political relations are strong between the UK and Brazil, underpinned by a series of annual government to government dialogues on trade, economics, energy, foreign policy, defence and the Olympics. There were an exceptional number of ministerial visits in both directions in 2012, including President Dilma Rousseff and the Prime Minister, which helped strengthen ties with Brazil and promoted a wide range of UK interests.
Cultural relations are growing, assisted by 'UKBrasil', a season of events held across Brazil between September 2012 and March 2013. This programme, will reach over a million people, promoting the Best of Britain in education, culture, business and sport. The Brazilian Government's Science Without Borders programme wall see up to 10,000 science students studying in the UK over the next four years, bringing in £200 million to the UK economy, and taking their positive experiences back to Brazil.
Our trade relationship is also growing. In 2011, exports to Brazil were worth £3.7 billion to the UK economy, on target to achieve our long term goal of doubling annual exports to £4 billion by 2015. London 2012 had a significant impact in Brazil, opening the door for many UK companies as Brazil prepares to host the Olympics and World Cup.
We are deepening our defence and security cooperation with Brazil. A Maritime Systems Memorandum of Understanding signed during the Prime Minister's visit will allow the UK to showcase expertise and share experiences as part of our wider plans to develop a stronger and more strategic defence partnership with Brazil.