Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and British Prime Minister Tony Blair met Sunday, February 12, in Pretoria, South Africa, to discuss the elimination of agricultural subsidies in developed countries.
According to Brazil’s Minister of Foreign Relations, Celso Amorim, the two countries concurred that political will and a mutual effort by rich and poor countries will be required for an agreement to take shape in this area.
"We are ready to talk, but it is just an exploratory conversation, since Brazil isn’t negotiating with the United Kingdom. The negotiation involves the G-20 (the group of 21 developing countries), Europe, and the United States," Amorim remarked.
According to the Brazilian Minister, Blair also expressed interest in a meeting between leaders of the countries that make up the G-8 (the group of developed countries) and the G-20 to unlock the Doha Round discussions, which are dealing with this matter in the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Lula also participated in the Progressive Governance Summit, a meeting in Pretoria of seven heads of State, including the United Kingdom, Sweden, and South Korea.
Agência Brasil
