India, Brazil, South Africa to hold summit

PRETORIA: Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will visit South Africa in October for a meeting on trade, health, energy and education, an official said on Wednesday.

South African president Thabo Mbeki would meet with his Indian and Brazilian counterparts on October 14 under the India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA) initiative which seeks to promote South-South cooperation and exchange.

"They will sign agreements on health and medicines, public administration, higher education, social development, cultural cooperation, wind energy and administration of customs," said foreign ministry official Jerry Matjila at a news conference in Pretoria.

Their discussions will also include the possibility of setting up a free trade agreement between the custom bodies of the three countries, he said. The first IBSA summit was held last year in Brazil's capital, Brasilia.