Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates said on Sunday that during Portugal's European Union (EU) six-month presidency he will give priority to European reform, EU ties with China, Russia and Brazil.

Socrates, who on Monday will preside over Lisbon's first government meeting with the European Commission in Oporto, said EU ties with China and Russia will be analyzed in the meeting.

Prior to assuming the EU presidency, Socrates visited Beijing and Moscow to prepare the EU summit for the second half of 2007 with Russia and China.

Socrates said the EU-China summit in Beijing "is important for both parties," since there are a series of issues "demanding negotiation," such as the acknowledgement of China as a market economy.

In his meeting in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Socrates said "relations between the EU and Russia need mutual confidence" and cannot be contaminated by "irresponsible lessons" in democracy and human rights issues.

According to Portuguese officials, one of the fundamental issues on the EU-Brazil agenda is energy, since Brazil has placed its beds on biofuel production.

Portugal assumed on Sunday the European Union's (EU) rotating-six-month presidency.

(Xinhua News Agency July 2, 2007)