Brazil Resumes FTAA Talks with the US

This month Brazil reopens negotiations with the United States over the creation of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), and the head of the Presidential Civilian Advisory Staff, Minister José Dirceu, advises: The orientation of the Brazilian government is “to advance in the negotiations,” but “always within the context and on the basis of the interests of Brazil, our national interests.”

“Brazil desires more trade; it needs more trade to resolve its social problems, to ensure development, to overcome its dependence upon foreign capital, and it is interested and willing to negotiate in the spheres that are of interest to the United States.”


The Minister explained that the Brazilian and American negotiators restored the agenda on the basis of the Miami declaration.


He recalled, however, that Brazil presents more complexities when it comes to reaching an agreement over the FTAA, because it is a country that has an industrial base, has a large domestic market, desires greater access to North American markets, and has an agenda with respect to investments and services that is more complicated than other Latin American countries.


In any case, according to the Minister, the resumption of negotiations was a good sign.


The text that is being negotiated is the one approved in 2003. It introduced greater flexibility into the negotiations for an agreement, providing Brazilian interests greater leeway to expand market access but honoring agreements established in the World Trade Organization with regard to matters such as intellectual property.


Dirceu proffered his evaluation in an exclusive interview on the Voice of Brazil program. The Minister spoke from the Brazilian Embassy in Washington, where he met with the American Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice.


The Minister said that the encounter was valuable, because it served to reaffirm the partnership and interest in deepening relations between Brazil and the United States.


The possibility of a visit by President Bush to Brazil at the end of the year was also discussed. “President Lula and President Bush have had a very fruitful relationship, very advantageous for both countries and very advantageous for South America,” the Minister remarked.


Translation: David Silberstein
Agência Brasil

Tags:

You May Also Like

Brazilian car racer Hélio Castroneves

With Castroneves and Kanaan Brazil Makes Pole and #2 in Indy 500

Under a new format the first 11 places in the field of 33 are ...

Brazilian Jihad: Suicide Attack on Copacabana Beach – Part 2

This is the second part of a five part series on the Revolt of ...

Brazilians Back to the Ballot Box

In Brazil, 27,320,458 registered voters in 44 municipalities will return to the ballot boxes ...

Brazil Might Soon Have a Female President But There Are Still Too Few Women in Politics

In the coming October 3 presidential election, two of the three frontrunners are women. ...

Brazilian Congress and Electoral Court Clash Over Election Rules

The debate in Brazil over electoral rules has been stoked by the constitutional amendment ...

Brazil Bank to Finance All Concerning Biodiesel

Brazil’s National Economic and Social Development Bank (BNDES) announced the creation of the Program ...

Brazilians’ Purchasing Power Among Lowest in the World

São Paulo and Rio, in Brazil, appear in the 48th and 45th places, respectively, ...

Brazil Hints it Might Soon Recognize New Honduras President

Porfirio Lobo has been sworn in as the new president of Honduras but  Brazil ...

Brazil Should Go Beyond Millennium Goals, Say Experts

Brazil should adopt more ambitious goals for the millennium than the ones proposed by ...

Brazil Close to Self-Sufficiency in Oil

Average production of oil and natural gas was up again in March, reaching 2,101,478 ...