Washington, December 11, 2002 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - In a meeting yesterday (10) with president-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the president of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Enrique Iglesias, announced the Bank's decision to collaborate with US$ 12 million for the new administration to invest in programs to combat hunger in Brazil during the next four years. According to Iglesias, the funds will be available to the new administration at the moment they are deemed necessary.

Enrique Iglesias observed that the program to combat hunger is very important to the campaign against poverty in Brazil and that the IDB is attempting to reorient its social projects in this direction. At the meeting with Lula, Iglesias reaffirmed the Brazilian government's commitment to work together with the Bank in the execution of social programs. Iglesias announced that he will soon be going to Brazil to proceed with negotiations to tie down the projects in the social area. (DAS)