Brazil to embrace the world as a big emerging power

16:45, December 29, 2009

Two things have filled Brazilians with particular pride in the outgoing 2009. The first and foremost what US President Barack Obama said at London G20 financial summit in early April. While pointing to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, he told those around him that the Brazilian president was quite a character be on "the side of people" and, consequently, Lula's reputation soon spread all over the world. The second thing is the bid the city of Rio de Janeiro has won to host the 2016 Summer Olympic Games.

It's essential to "bolster self-confidence", and Brazilian diplomats should "hold up" their heads at international negotiations. These are demands Lula set for his diplomatic envoys at a foreign emissary meeting. This year, Brazil has persevered in going outward to the world with the gesture of an emerging power and its diplomatic moves incline to be more dynamic and vigorous.

Brazil has been an active player in various important international conferences this year and, in order to cope with common challenges facing the global community, it offered better ways to promote the democratization of international politics and new international economic order. President Lula made 20 overseas trips in 2009, which brought him to 31 countries or regions. In the meantime, he has received more than 30 foreign heads of state around the world.

At the G20 financial summit, the "BRIC" (Brazil, Russia, India and China) leaders conference, the recent Copenhagen Climate Change Conference and other international meetings, Brazilian leaders held close consultations with their counterparts from emerging nations, increased consensus, coordinated positions and offered its own ideas and proposals on safeguarding the world peace and development, reforming the existing global financial setup, responding to climate change and international financial crisis, safeguarding global food security, carrying out the United Nations reform and coping with other global issues of vital importance.

Brazil has partaken in all major world forums from the energy to environmental concerns and from economy to security affairs this year, noted the "Brazilian Economic News" newspaper on Dec. 22, and Brazil has realized its dream of moving into the center stage of a new global theater.

Taking into an account the "diversity" and "imbalance" hallmarks in Latin American politics and economics, Brazil, as a big regional power, has given scope to a prominent role for "coordination" and "leadership" in promoting regional economic integration.
President Lula has visited eight countries in South America and three other countries in Central America this year, and 14 heads of state in the Latin American region also visited Brazil during the year. Through an exchange of visits and convocation of regional summit meetings, Brazil has taken an active part in coordinating Latin American nations to jointly deal with the financial crises, safeguarding financial and energy security in the region and implementing various regional integration projects.

In such events or emergencies as the signing of a Columbia-U.S. military cooperation agreement, the staging of Honduras' military coup, Brazil has coordinated with Latin American countries to safeguard the unity and democratic institutions. President Lula has made three trips to Columbia in 2009, and Brazilian Parliament also approved Venezuela to join the common market of the south, or Mercosur in South America, so as to pay the way for the recruit of new members.

As a diplomatic "new guide", Brazil steps up South-South cooperation in 2009. The outbreak of global financial crisis has enabled Brazil to see both the potential and importance to enhance its economic and trade ties with developing nations. This year, Brazil's trade with emerging nations account for 60 percent of its total foreign trade volume, a rise of 4 percent over 2008. Its trade volume with other new emerging nations has for the first time exceeded its trade value with Europe and North America. Meanwhile, China has overtaken the United States as Brazil's largest trade partner and largest export market for Brazilian products.

More recently, Brazil, defying a prolonged deadlock in the Doha round negotiations, took an initiative and became the first to sign mutual tariff exemption agreements with 22 developing nations to further promote trade ties with other developing nations. Moreover, Brazil has made painstaking efforts to expand relations with Central Asia and Middle East countries, and this has become another "new bright spot" for its external relations.

The Brazilian president and prime minister have invited Israeli President Shimon Peres, Iranian President Mohmoud Ahmadinejad and Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to visit their country. These visits of foreign dignities have not only helped to enhance their economic and trade relations but also played a unique role in the Middle East Peace Process.

Furthermore, Brazil has opened up diplomatic relationships with Central Asian countries. Lula made his first-ever trip to Kazakhstan and invited Uzbek President to visit Brazil. In 2009, Brazil has also set up new embassies in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Oman and Qatar, and it continues to expand its political, diplomatic, economic, trade and cultural exchanges with Asian and African countries.

Brazil is currently pursuing an all-dimensional diplomacy to focus on spurring the South-South ties with great importance attached to Africa, Asia and Latin America, said an ace professor well versed in the history of international relations at the elite Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.

By People's Daily Online and contributed by PD resident reporter in Brazil Wu Zhihua.