Britain to Boost Ties with Latin American CountriesBritish Prime Minister Tony Blair started Saturday his visit to four Latin American countries to promote relations with them.BBC broadcast quoted British analysts as saying that Blair's visit, which will bring him to Jamaica, Brazil, Argentina and Mexico, is considered a "long awaited" trip that aims to strengthen bilateral links and seek new opportunities for British business in the four Latin American nations. Other topics to be discussed during Blair's working meetings with his Latin American counterparts will include free trade, environmental commitment to the Kyoto Protocol on climate change and the fight against drugs. Blair will arrive in Jamaica on Sunday, the first leg of his Latin America tour where he will meet his Jamaican counterpart Percival Patterson and participate in the delivery of a football trophy. His visit to Brazil on Monday will focus on strengthening Britain's relations with the South American giant. Blair will arrive in Argentina on Wednesday where he will hold a trilateral meeting with Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso and Argentine President Fernando de la Rua. He is also expected to have a separate meeting later with Fernando de la Rua which will not touch the sovereignty of the Malvinas Islands, over which Britain and Argentina fought a war in 1982. On Thursday in Mexico, Blair is scheduled to meet Mexican President Vicente Fox, and will be present at a televised discussion with students of Monterrey Technical University and attend a reception with local businessmen. Blair will end his official visit to Mexico after touring an industrial plant on Friday, but he will stay in the country for several more days with his families for vocation. |
| People's Daily Online --- http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/ |