Rio, November 21, 2002 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The Brazilian administration that will take office in January is viewed with optimism by the World Economic Forum, an independent international body created in 1971 for the purpose of improving world conditions and recognized by the UN Economic and Social Council. According to the director-general of the Forum, José Maria Figueres, who spoke at the Latin American Business Summit, there is a consensus within the body that the new president "will assume responsibility not only for national challenges, but for regional ones as well, because, if Brazil fares well, so does the whole Latin region, and vice-versa."

Figueres added: "The Economic Forum would like the new president of Brazil, elected with the largest and most important vote count in world history, to assume global responsibility and leadership, too, so that the next meeting of the World Trade Organization, on free trade, can turn into a development meeting, including the agricultural and textile products of Brazil and the developing countries. This requires a leader, as Lula can be." (DAS)