"Agreements such as this one are important to South Africa. As a developing nation we are looking to partnerships with friendly countries to facilitate access to cutting edge technology and markers," South African Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota told reporters.

Lekota and his Brazilian counterpart, Jose Viegas Filho, who is on a five-day official visit to South Africa, also agreed to establish a joint defense committee to promote the agreement, the SAPA news agency reported.

The areas of cooperation include research and development, acquisition and logistic support, procurement of military equipment, and exchanging experiences in peacekeeping operations.

"In this era of globalisation we must examine the opportunities of co-operation to ensure that we do not remain marginal in the changing world economy," Lekota said.

WAR.WIRE