Brazilian diplomats believe that the administration of president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva plans to expand Brazil government's outward signs of support and solidarity to Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
According to them, last week's visit of Brazil's Foreign Minister, Celso Amorim, to the Iranian city of Isfahan to arrange Lula's visit to Teheran is just another proof of the Brazilian leader's intention.
Amorim's talks in Iran spelled out the details of Lula's trip to Tehran, which should occur on or before April 2010. The minister also spoke of the Brazilian commitment to intensify trade and technology exchange with Iran
Countering the criticism levied against Brasília, the Brazilian negotiators say the Lula administration doesn't fear that the Iran-Brazil relationship will be used as currency by the Iranians to seek new opportunities in the international political scenario.
Amorim's initiative, say these diplomats involved with the negotiations, show that Brazil is in favor of opening a dialogue with Iran. According to Lula's interlocutors, the Brazilian government wants to show it supports Iran's nuclear program including uranium enrichment, as long as used for peaceful purposes.
In recent days, Lula put the matter on the agenda in several bilateral talks he held with European leaders. According to the diplomats, it is necessary to make room for the Iranians so they can show and prove that their nuclear program doesn't need to be object of suspicion.
However, on November 27, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) passed a resolution reproaching the construction of a plant to enrich uranium because it suspects that Iran's nuclear program has military purposes.
In his trip to Brazil on November 23, Ahmadinejad has denied the charges and blamed the great powers for the complaints raising questions about the purpose of Iran's nuclear program.
The plants that are part of Iran's nuclear program have been subject to several inspections. Despite that, the Iranian government is accused of concealing the development of research and production of nuclear weapons.
ABr
