Brasilia [Brazil], July 9 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India-Brazil partnership stands as an important pillar of 'stability and balance' and emphasised that the cooperation between the two countries is relevant not only for the Global South but for the entire world.

He emphasised that the two nations shared a common approach to fighting terrorism - 'zero tolerance and zero double standards. '

'Today, as the world goes through a period of tension and uncertainty, my friend has already elaborated on this in detail so I will not repeat it. India-Brazil partnership stands as an important pillar of stability and balance. We are in full agreement that all disputes must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy. We share a common approach in the fight against terrorism -- zero tolerance and zero double standards. We firmly believe that there is no place for double standards when it comes to terrorism. We strongly oppose both terrorism and those who support it,' he said.

During a joint press statement with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva after their delegation-level talks, PM Modi emphasised that the cooperation between India and Brazil is relevant not only for the Global South but for the entire humanity.

'India and Brazil have always worked in close coordination at the global level. As two large democratic countries, our cooperation is relevant not only for the Global South, but for the entire humanity. We believe that it is our moral obligation to raise the concerns and priorities of the Global South at global forums,' he said.

The Prime Minister said that the growing cooperation between India and Brazil in the defence sector reflects deep mutual trust between the two nations. He noted that the cooperation between the two nations is growing constantly in the energy sector.

'Our growing cooperation in the field of defence reflects the deep mutual trust between our two countries. We will continue our efforts to connect our defence industries and strengthen this partnership further. Our collaboration in the fields of Artificial Intelligence and supercomputers is expanding. This reflects our shared vision for inclusive development and human-centric innovation,' he added.

During the joint press statement with Brazil's President Lula, PM Modi stated, 'Our cooperation in the field of energy is constantly growing. Environment and clean energy are the main priorities of both countries. The agreement that has been made today to increase cooperation in this field will give new direction and momentum to our green goals. I wish President Lula all the best for the COP-30 meeting to be held in Brazil this year.'

He announced that both nations are working together on the adoption of UPI in Brazil. 'Both sides are also working together on the adoption of UPI in Brazil. We will be happy to share India's successful experience in areas like Digital Public Infrastructure and Space with Brazil.'

He thanked the Brazilian President for the warm welcome accorded to him in Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia. He expressed gratitude to President Lula, the Brazilian government and the people for honouring him with the country's highest national honour.

'I want to thank my friend, President Lula, for the warm welcome accorded to us in Rio and Brasilia. Both the natural beauty of the Amazon and your warmth have mesmerised us. Today, the President honoured me with Brazil's highest national honour, which is a moment of immense pride and emotion not just for me but also for 140 crore Indians. For this, I express my heartfelt gratitude to him, the Brazilian government and the people of Brazil,' he added.

He lauded President Lula for his role in deepening ties between India and Brazil, calling him the 'chief architect of the strategic partnership' between the two nations.

He said, 'My friend President Lula is the Chief Architect of the Strategic Partnership between India and Brazil. He has played a significant role in deepening our relations. Every meeting with him has inspired me to work harder for the progress and well-being of both our nations. I dedicate this honour to his strong commitment to India and to our enduring friendship.'

'In today's discussions, we agreed to strengthen cooperation across all sectors. We have set a goal to raise bilateral trade to 20 billion dollars over the next five years. Football is Brazil's passion, just as cricket is loved by the people of India. Whether it's sending the ball past the boundary or into the goal, when both are on the same team, a 20 billion dollar partnership is not difficult to achieve. Together, we will also work on expanding the India-MERCOSUR Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA),' he added.

He stated that the cooperation between India and Brazil in agriculture and animal husbandry is decades old, and the two nations will also work together on agricultural research and food processing. He further stated, 'We are also expanding our win-win cooperation in the field of health. We emphasised the expansion of Ayurveda and traditional medicine in Brazil.'

Calling people-to-people ties an important pillar of India-Brazil ties, he said, 'People-to-people ties are an important pillar of our relations. A deep interest in sports connects the two countries together. We want India-Brazil relations to be as colourful as a carnival, as energetic as a game of football and connecting hearts like Samba, without long lines at visa counters. In this spirit, we will make efforts to facilitate contact between the people of the two countries, especially tourists, students, sportspersons and businessmen.'

PM Modi held discussions with the Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at the Alvorada Palace in Brazil. President Lula conferred Brazil's highest civilian honour, the 'Grand Collar of the National Order of the Southern Cross', on PM Modi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a State Visit to Brazil after participating in the BRICS Summit, received a warm ceremonial welcome at the Alvorada Palace in Brazil on Tuesday, where President Lula shared a warm hug with PM Modi. (ANI)