Dilma is going to Rome for a meeting with the Pope and the President of Italy.
According to the Undersecretary-General for Political Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Antonio da Rocha Paranhos, the objective of the meeting between the president and the Italian president Giorgio Napolitano is to seek increased cooperation between the two countries, especially in supporting small and medium-sized enterprises; "The meeting will also address the recent announcements of new investments by Italian companies in Brazil, such as Fiat, Tim and Enel," he informed; in her third meeting with Pope Francis since he assumed the papacy in March of last year, the president is expected to discuss topics on the international agenda, in addition to intensifying Brazilian dialogue with the Vatican.
Paulo Victor Chagas – Reporter for Agência Brasil
On a trip to Italy for the consecration ceremony of the archbishop of Rio de Janeiro, Dom Orani Tempesta, as the new cardinal, President Dilma Rousseff will meet tomorrow (21) with Pope Francis and with the Italian president, Giorgio Napolitano.
Italy is going through a period of transition – a week ago, Prime Minister Entico Letta resigned after only ten months in office, and a new government will be formed. According to the Undersecretary-General for Political Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Antonio da Rocha Paranhos, the objective of the meeting between the Brazilian president and Napolitano is to seek increased cooperation between the two countries, especially in supporting small and medium-sized enterprises.
"The meeting will also address the recent announcements of new investments by Italian companies in Brazil, such as Fiat, Tim, and Enel [an electricity generating company]," Paranhos informed. Italy is Brazil's eighth largest trading partner, having closed last year with trade reaching approximately US$11 billion.
It has not yet been confirmed whether Dilma will meet with the new Italian Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi, who is in charge of forming a new cabinet from next Monday (24). "As far as I know, there has been no initiative on the Italian side to request this type of meeting," said the Undersecretary-General of Itamaraty, in an interview with journalists.
In her third meeting with Pope Francis since he assumed the papacy in March of last year, the president is expected to discuss issues on the international agenda, as well as intensify Brazilian dialogue with the Vatican. Paranhos justified this closeness by the fact that the Pope is an "increasingly active voice on issues important to Brazil." For him, the meeting with Francis will "mark the identification of objectives and purposes, given that the Pope has been very [important] in defending issues such as social inclusion, the fight against poverty, and the struggle against discrimination."
The archbishop of Rio de Janeiro is already in the Vatican, where he will be proclaimed cardinal this Saturday (22). After the consistory, Dom Orani and 18 other new members of the College of Cardinals will receive greetings from guests for the ceremony. On Sunday (23), Pope Francis will celebrate Mass with the new cardinals.
Dilma left late this afternoon for Europe, after inaugurating the Beira-Rio stadium in Porto Alegre and opening the Grape Festival in Caxias do Sul. From Rome, where she will stay at the Brazilian Embassy in Italy, the president will travel to Brussels, Belgium, to participate in the 7th Brazil-European Union Summit.