Putin in Brazil for space talks

Brazil is Putin's second stop in South America after Chile

Russian President Vladimir Putin has begun a visit to Brazil for talks on the country's nascent space programme and other areas of cooperation.

He arrived from Chile, fresh from the Apec summit which endorsed Russia's bid to join the World Trade Organisation.

Nuclear cooperation and trade are also on the agenda along with the possible sale of Russian fighter planes.

Speaking to Brazilian media ahead of the visit, Mr Putin fended off criticism of his record on democracy.

Mr Putin and Brazilian President Luis Inacio "Lula" da Silva are to sign an agreement on the development of the Alcantara launch centre in north-east Brazil.

The head of the Russian Federal Agency for Industry, Boris Aleshin, told Russia's Itar-Tass news agency Russia would also develop "various kinds of satellites for Brazil".

Russia also hopes to sell 12 fighter planes to the Brazilians in a $1bn tender with the Brazilian aerospace company Embraer.

Mr Putin said Russia was also interested in helping Brazil to build its third nuclear power station, Angra-3.

Putin challenged

Brazilian media coverage of the visit has focused on the situation in Russia and Brazilian journalists who interviewed Mr Putin before the visit tackled him on controversial plans for electoral reform and the fate of the arrested head of oil giant Yukos, Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

The democratic choice Russian people made in the early 90's is final Vladimir Putin

On reform, which among other controversial moves envisages the scrapping of direct elections of regional governors, Mr Putin said it was a "pre-emptive move against those who want to weaken the Russian state and destabilise the country".

He insisted that "the democratic choice Russian people made in the early 90's" was "final".

Asked about Mr Khodorkovsky, Mr Putin once again rejected accusations that the oil magnate's case was politically motivated.

"Khodorkovsky was never involved in politics," he said.