MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Tony Blair in Brazil .

British Prime Minister Tony Blair arrived this Monday in Brasilia beginning a historic visit to Latinamerica's three most influential countries amid growing concerns that financial turbulence in the area could spill to the rest of the world.

Next Wednesday Mr. Blair is scheduled to meet Argentine president Fernando De la Rúa in the Iguazú Falls, in the common Argentine-Brazilian border, and then on to Mexico.

The six days visit, which actually began in Jamaica, will focus on trade and financial issues, since the three countries are Britain's main partners in the area representing annual sales of almost 6 billion US dollars. Besides Britain has a substantial investment in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico. Prominent businessmen from oil, air manufacturing and communications industries plus representatives from financial groups will be present with Mr. Blair in Brazil and Mexico. In Brazil besides holding talks with president Henrique Cardoso, Mr. Blair is scheduled to visit Embraer, the country's top aircraft and space industry, that is closely linked to British suppliers.

The meeting with Mr. De la Rúa will be the briefest and the most political since it's the first time a British Primer Minister visits Argentina. The meeting is described as part of the "normalisation" process between two countries that almost two decades were involved in an armed conflict over the Falklands. However the Falklands are not in the official agenda but when Mr. Blair and president De la Rúa meet and the picture is rallied to the rest of the world, the British Prime Minister will be delivering the official G 8 endorsement to Argentina and its current austerity measures, particularly the "zero budget deficit" policy. World markets fear Argentina might be forced to default on its 130 billion US dollars debt, a situation that sent the shivers to other regional (Brazil, Mexico, Chile) and world financial markets. Mr. Blair will attempt a more determined support from Argentina and Brazil for the multilateral trade negotiations round of the World Trade Organisation to be held in November in Quatar.

In Brazil that is in the midst of an severe energy shortage, British oil businessmen are particularly interested in the opening of the country's oil industry and electricity distribution system, that are expected to invest at least 30 billion US dollars during the decade to ensure Brazil's energy self dependency.

Mexico, as a privileged partner of NAFTA, and the