Havana, 9/29/2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - Yesterday president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva sent the Brazilian business community a message: seek markets outside Brazil; go abroad and become multinationals. Lula made the remark during a speech at the Brazil-Cuba Business Forum on Saturday.

"I want to say to president Fidel Castro and the people who invest in Cuba that my government's policy is to strengthen ties with Latin America. And in order to do that, every once in a while, I have to remind the Brazilian business community that they have to be bolder," said Lula.

The Brazilian president declared that today's globalized world requires a daring spirit. He called for the union of all of Latin America in order to compete on equal terms with those who dominate world markets.

"I want to congratulate the Brazilians and Cubans who set up this seminar and business forum and I hope the result will be bilateral ties that are stronger than ever," concluded Lula. (AB)