This is less likely to trip up an agreement if the targets set at Kyoto are modest enough for the rich countries actually to comply with this time around.

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However, what has many US government and intelligence officials worried is a May, 2010 trip Lula took to Tehran where a nuclear fuel swap agreement was signed between Brazil, Turkey and Iran.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: The growing concern of Brazil & Iran

Much of Bush's eight-day trip to the Mideast is centered on the ambitious task of sealing an elusive peace agreement between the two sides.

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It is still possible that she could extend her European schedule and add a trip to Poland if negotiations in the next couple of days produce a Polish government agreement to put the missiles on its soil, McCormack told reporters at his regular midday briefing.

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On his southern trip, Mr Fox expressed polite interest in Mexico's reaching a free-trade agreement with Mercosur, South America's main trade block.

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But the Afghan leader's trip to Washington has been seen as a crucial step in negotiations over a bilateral security agreement that will determine the number and the function of US troops remaining in Afghanistan beyond 2014.

BBC: Barack Obama and Hamid Karzai discuss Afghan endgame