"From 2002 to 2008, trade between Russia and Brazil grew five times," Lula said in a speech to a business forum.

"But that is not enough. We need to make a quantitative new leap and define new areas for partnership in areas like energy, infrastructure and space exploration."

Lula then met President Dmitry Medvedev at the Kremlin, their second meeting in less than a month, after Medvedev attended a summit of the BRIC nations - Brazil, Russia, India and China - in April in Brasilia.

Lula is making his fourth visit to Moscow, an indication of the importance attached by both sides to developing new relationships that reflect the growing economic and political clout of the BRIC states.

Lula and Medvedev were also expected to discuss Iran during the Brazilian leader's trip.

He will travel on to Tehran after his Moscow visit, which includes a meeting on Friday afternoon with Russia's most powerful politician, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

Lula and Medvedev were also to sign a strategic partnership agreement which will map out how their relations will develop, the Kremlin said.

The pact calls for increased cooperation on energy - where Russia is offering Brazil nuclear power technology and gas liquefaction technology - and in high-tech areas such as space exploration and aircraft building, officials on both sides said.

Russia's giant gas firm Gazprom plans to open an office in Rio de Janeiro this year as part of these efforts, the Kremlin said.

Russia and Brazil are both major commodity nations, with Russia among the world's top energy and metals producers and Brazil strong in exports of agricultural products, iron ore, cars and machinery.

Trade between the two BRIC giants grew to $6.8 billion in 2008 but fell back to $4.6 billion the following year because of the global financial crisis, the Kremlin said.