Rio, November 22, 2002 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - According to a survey at a Latin American Business Summit workshop, members of the business community are more confident about the future president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, today than they were in the past.

85% of those interviewed said Brazil would not declare a debt moratorium within the next 24 months; 36% said that the country's biggest problems were debt (which they thought should be restructured) and corruption.

75% said they did not think the Free Trade Area of the Americas would keep to its calendar date for implementation - 2005. And 70% said US-Brazil relations would worsen, while 90% thought relations with the European Union would improve. (AB)