Brasília - Brazil will not accept international agreements that limit its economic development, says the secretary general of the Ministry of Foreign Relations, Samuel Pinheiro Guimarães. "Brazil will sign only balanced agreements," he said, explaining that the country is interested in international negotiations with the objective of opening markets in order to increase exports, but through agreements that balance the relationship of the negotiating parties.

Guimarães also said that in some of its international negotiations Brazil has an advantage, for example at the World Trade Organization where it leads the G-20, while in others it has a disadvantage.

The international media recognizes our leadership role, said Guimarães, for example, in recent talks at the WTO that have resulted in developing nations getting an agreement by rich nations to reduce subsidies to their farm produce which were detrimental to poor nation exports.

Guimarães said that in international negotiations it was essential to be especially "cautious" to avoid having concessions made by Brazil in one agreement used as demands by other countries in other agreements.

Guimarães concluded by saying that Argentina is important for the development of Mercosur and should be treated as a "true partner." Guimarães explained that without the Brazil-Argentina union there would not be any South American integration and that would undermine the objectives of Brazilian foreign policy as a whole.

Agência Brasil
Reporter: Carolina Pimentel
Translator: Allen Bennett
08/13/2004