TEHRAN -- Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim has suggested that Tehran and Brasilia can upgrade their ties beyond commercial exchanges to include scientific, industrial, technological, and cultural cooperation as well.

Amorim made the remarks in a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki in Tehran on Saturday.
He said Iran has been blessed with an ancient and deep civilization, which should be introduced to the Brazilian people.
Brazil has made developing ties with Iran a foreign policy priority, he added.
Amorim also said the Brazil-Iran joint economic commission will provide a forum for the expansion of relations in many areas.
“The meeting between the foreign ministers of the two countries is the beginning of a reform in bilateral ties” that can set the stage for wider cooperation and a meeting between the presidents of the two countries, Amorim noted.
Mottaki said Iran and Brazil share many common views on international issues.
Iran prioritizes relations with Latin American countries in general and Brazil in particular, he stated.
“In this region, Brazil has a special place in Iran’s foreign policy,” Mottaki explained.
-------------Iran, Brazil call for stronger relations
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Sunday that Iran is determined to develop comprehensive cooperation with Brazil.
In a meeting with the Brazilian foreign minister, Ahmadinejad hailed Brazil’s efforts to maintain unity among South American countries.
Brazil is the most important country in South America, he added.
Elsewhere in his remarks, the president said Iran has suffered less from the global financial crisis because Iran’s economy is not dependent on the West.
Ahmadinejad also expressed hope that the Brazilian president’s upcoming visit to Iran will help boost the friendly relations between the two nations.
Amorim submitted the written message of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to the Iranian president.
He also told Ahmadinejad that Brazil is interested in developing closer cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran