British foreign secretary visits Brazil (AP)

BRASILIA, Brazil ? Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague said his country considers Brazil a major player in international affairs before meeting Wednesday with his Brazilian counterpart on disarmament, sustainable development and other issues.

Hague's two-day visit to Latin America's biggest country also includes a stop in Rio de Janeiro.

In an opinion article published by Rio de Janeiro's O Globo newspaper, Hague wrote that his visit was "a clear sign we in Britain do not consider Brazil to be an emerging nation any more ? we believe it is already a major player on the global stage."

He said Britain supports Brazil's bid for a permanent seat on the Security Council of the United Nations, which is "why we want to deepen our co-operation on global issues from UN reform to climate change and international development."

"Sport ? from the Grand Prix to football ? unites us. Brazilian football players are as well known in the U.K. as they are here," Hague wrote. "The games will provide the chance of a lifetime for host cities and countries to showcase our societies and to promote worldwide our most important values."

London hosts the Olympic Games later this year and Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Brazil also hosts the World Cup in 2014.

Brazil's economy is expected to surpass that of the United Kingdom as the world's sixth largest, showing "your country's formidable economic power, and the opportunities for joint working that come with it as both our nations seek to grow our economies," Hague wrote.

Brazil's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Hague's meeting with Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota will start a "strategic dialogue" in disarmament and nonproliferation, the Middle East and Northern Africa, human rights, poverty and hunger eradication and sustainable development."

The statement says Hague and Patriota will also discuss the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development and the international financial crisis.

Missing from official statements about Hague's Brazil trip was any mention of a recent flap over the British-controlled Falkland Islands.

Britain has ruled the Falklands, which lie 290 miles (460 kilometers) east of Argentina's coast, for more than 180 years, but Argentina claims sovereignty over the islands, which it calls the Malvinas. The two countries fought a brief war over the islands in 1982.

Last month, Argentina persuaded Brazil, Uruguay and Chile to join a Mercosur trade group resolution to turn away from their ports any ship flying the Falklands' flag, which shows a sheep and a ship along with the United Kingdom's red, white and blue Union Jack.

British Prime Minister David Cameron told lawmakers in London on Wednesday that he held a special meeting of Britain's National Security Council to discuss the tensions over the Falkland Islands. He said the panel of ministers, military chiefs and spy masters met on Tuesday, amid growing concern about Argentina's saber-rattling over the South Atlantic territory.

"The absolutely vital point is that we are clear that the future of the Falkland Islands is a matter for the people themselves," Cameron said. "As long as they want to remain part of the United Kingdom and be British, they should be able to do so."

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Associated Press writers Stan Lehman in Sao Paulo and David Stringer in London contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/britain/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120118/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_brazil_britain

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