Tuesday, January 11, 2011

UK confirms Brazil refused to let British vessel dock in Rio

The British government confirmed that Brazil refused to let the HMS Clyde, which was on its way to the Malvinas Islands, dock in a port in Rio de Janeiro, in a clear move by newly appointed president Dilma Rousseff to show her support for the Argentine cause.  

A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: "We can confirm that HMS Clyde had planned to make a routine port stop in Rio de Janeiro in early January.

"Brazil did not grant diplomatic clearance this time. We respect Brazil's right to make such a decision. We have a close relationship with Brazil.

"The UK-Brazil defence cooperation treaty signed last September is a good example of our current strong links."