Embraer CEO expects talks with Boeing to be concluded in 1st half

SAO JOSÉ DOS CAMPOS, Brazil (Reuters) - The chief executive officer of Brazilian planemaker Embraer SA (EMBR3.SA), Paulo Cesar de Souza e Silva, said on Wednesday that he expects tie-up talks with Boeing (BA.N) to be finalized in the first half of this year.

Silva told reporters at the company's headquarters in Sao José dos Campos that the talks with Boeing would not be affected by Brazil's presidential campaign and October election, nor because an Army reserve general was named as the new defence minister this week. The military is leery of any Embraer deal with Boeing, given Embraer's importance to the defence industry.

(Reporting by Alberto Alerigi Jr; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)