Berlin - Germany is to assist Brazil in staging the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, according to German Chancellor Angela Merkel after a meeting in Berlin Thursday with visiting Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The Germans are to provide similar help in getting Brazil ready for the 2014 Football World Cup in Brazil.
Germany is Brazil's principal trading partner in Europe, with two-way trade worth nearly 18 billion euros (27 billion dollars).
German companies hope to win major construction orders when Brazil spends the equivalent of 200 billion euros soon on new infrastructure, including venues for the two huge sports events.
Lula and Merkel discussed next week's world climate conference in Copenhagen, but gave few details. Emerging economies such as Brazil have lent their muscle to a campaign for affluent countries like Germany to fund poor nations that reduce carbon emissions.
The two said they would making joint efforts on the issue and both wanted the UN conference in the Danish capital to be a success.
