It's a near-surprise call from a onetime Marxist who, as his country's top diplomat from 2000 to 2003, had aggressively challenged the United States and worked to dismantle the inter-American security system.
Europe believes a sat-nav system that is independent of GPS but inter-operable with it will drive a multi-billion euro industry in which receivers find their way into many more markets - from consumer mobile devices such as cell phones to safety-critical applications such as guided trains and buses.