Rio,9/16/03(Agência Brasil- ABr) - President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva praised the performamce of the Brazilian delegation at the V Ministerial Meeting of the World Trade Organization in Cancun, saying that the characteristic of Brazilian foreign policy is a firm negotiating stance. "That was exactly what Furlan (minister of Development), Roberto Rodrigues (minister of Agriculture), and Celso Amorim (Foreign Relations) did. This is hardball and we know that you do not win if you do not play hard," said the president.
You have to play hard and refuse to take off your shoes, added Lula, in reference to the fact that former Foreign Minister, Celso Lafer, had to remove his shoes for a security check in an American airport shortly after 9/11. "The first thing I told my minister Celso Amorim was that no body was going to respect somebody who took off his shoes in an airport. A cabinet-level official could not take off his shoes in an airport anywhere in the world because of customs rules. If he did, he immediately lost 50% of his moral and ethical authority. We believe in respect, we want to respect everybody, but we want others to respect us. We refuse to be treated like inferiors," said the president.
Lula made his remarks at the opening of the 37th Expo Abras (a supermarket fair). "We are not out to win. We just want fair play because we can compete. And you can count on me in the fight for competitivity. I am with you on this," said the president.
NO MORE ROOM FOR CRYBABIES
Lula went on to say that nowadays in Brazil there is no more room for crybabies or passing the buck. People have to see what the problems are and then do what has to be done. "We all have to be responsible," said the president, and stop blaming the governor, the president, the IMF.
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva concluded by praising the supermarket sector for its partnership efforts in combating hunger and illiteracy. "This is an example of how people can take responsibility and reduce two of Brazil's historical problems:hunger and illiteracy," said the president. (AB)
