Ahmadinejad welcomes Lula da Silva

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has officially welcomed his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in the capital of Tehran ahead of the G15 summit.

President Lula arrived in Tehran, accompanied by a 300-member delegation — including five Brazilian cabinet ministers — to attend the Group of 15 summit on Monday.

The Brazilian president is expected to meet with the Leader of the Islamic Ummah Imam Seyyed Ali Khamenei during his visit.

According to IRNA, Brazilian and Iranian officials signed eleven memorandums of understanding on Sunday to promote bilateral cooperation in the fields of economy, agriculture, and industry.

Brazil, a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, has been making efforts to break the deadlock over Iran’s nuclear program and help reach an agreement on a fuel swap deal.

The G15 is made up of countries from Asia, Africa, and Latin America with a common goal of economic growth.

Earlier on Saturday, foreign ministers from the group of 15 met to discuss measures to tackle the global economic crisis.