Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi arrived in Brazil on Monday for a two-day official visit during which he will meet with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Sao Paulo to discuss mainly topics on business, Xinhua reported.
The arrival of the premier had been scheduled for Monday morning, but his flight was delayed due to weather problems. Berlusconi attended this weekend, in Toronto, Canada, the G-20 Summit, which gathered the largest group of developed and developing countries.
In his visit to Brazil, Berlusconi will be accompanied by a group of Italian entrepreneurs, who will join the "Brazil-Italy Forum: New Strategic Partnerships," to be held at the headquarters of Sao Paulo's Federation of Industries (FIESP).
Some of the areas in which the Italians are interested in investing are shipbuilding infrastructure, telecommunications and tourism, as well as providing security systems for offshore oil fields.
European businessmen also showed interest in participating in the construction of high-speed train linking Sao Paulo to Rio de Janeiro and in installing a motorcycle factory in the free zone of Manaus.
According to information from Italy's government, in 2009 the number of Italian companies established in Brazil increased from 120 to more than 300.
Relations between Brazil and Italy are going through a rebuilding period after the diplomatic controversy due to the shelter offered by Lula da Silva's government to former Italian left-wing activist Cesare Battisti, which caused tensions between Rome and Brasilia last year.