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Russians have lost to the Iranians the top post as Brazil's largest buyer of beef from Brazil. The new reality strengthens the  controversial ties between Brasília and Teheran, during the Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's administration, which were condemned in the West.

Brazil has sold US$ 61.7 million of beef to Iran in August, making the Middle Eastern country the biggest market for Brazil's key beef exports for the first time on record, the Association of Brazilian Beef Exporters (Abiec) told the Financial Times.

"Iran has become a very important commercial partner for Brazil; we've become much closer over the last few years" said Fernando Sampaio, Abiec's executive director.

After former president Lula angered Washington last year by holding talks with Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad over the Iranian nuclear program, President Dilma Rousseff vowed to take a tougher stance on Iran, particularly on human rights abuses.

However, Ms Rousseff, a former leftist militant and victim of torture herself during Brazil's dictatorship, has largely disappointed activists for her non-interventionist approach and for keeping silent during the recent Arab uprisings.

Brazil's beef exports to Iran have increased more than 300-fold in the past decade as fast population growth and greater political stability  >>>