#PEACEFUL MIDDLE EASTERN COUNTRIES FREE#

I myself went to Cairo and Algiers to attend a summit and a ministerial meeting of the Arab League. President Lula’s first address to the Arab League was a groundbreaking event. He also made a state visit to Israel.īrazil was the first country in Latin America and the Caribbean to be granted observer status by the Arab League. (Before him, Emperor Dom Pedro II made a trip to parts of the Ottoman Empire in the late nineteenth century, but his was a cultural and religious expedition for personal enlightenment.) During his eight years in office, President Lula went to Syria, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Algeria, Qatar (two times, one of which was to attend the second Arab–South American Summit), Libya (also twice, including once as a special guest of the African Union summit), Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Palestine, and Iran. It is surprising-if not alarming-that President Lula was the first Brazilian head of state ever to visit the Middle East officially. The deepening of relations between Brazil and countries of the Middle East was long overdue. By pursuing closer relations with the Middle Eastern countries, Brazil is rediscovering her own identity. Tolerance, acceptance of differences, and respect for the other, over and above distinctions of race or creed, are fundamental values that Brazil holds both domestically and internationally. Arab and Jewish communities are fully integrated into our society-and they live harmoniously side by side. Brazil is also the home to a very dynamic Jewish community. Last year, we celebrated the 130th anniversary of Arab immigration. The largest populations of Lebanese and Syrian origin outside those countries reside in Brazil. There are around ten to twelve million Brazilians of Arab descent. This may be seen in literature, cuisine, and in the names of some of our most prominent politicians and businessmen. Notable Arab influence can be found in Brazilian culture and society. And of course, unlike other countries, we do not carry any colonial or Cold War baggage in the Middle East (or anywhere else, for that matter).īrazil and the countries of the Arab world share strong human bonds. We are not a large arms exporter to the region. Although we fully grasp the centrality of the region for world peace, Brazil has no major direct national security concern at stake there.

We do not depend on the Middle East for oil. Brazil’s interests in coming closer to the Middle East are quite distinct from those of the traditional Western powers. This might seem strange for a country that participated in two world wars and even sent troops to Suez, under the UN flag but throughout most of her history, Brazil has maintained good and cordial though somewhat distant relations with the countries of the Middle East.ĭuring President Lula’s two mandates, Brazilian foreign policy made a genuine effort to engage countries of the Middle East on the bilateral and bi-regional (involving South America as a whole) levels. Without any hesitation, I can testify that the Middle East was brought, perhaps for the first time, to the center of our diplomatic radar. Renewed dialogue and cooperation with countries of the Middle East was part of this larger effort to strengthen South–South cooperation. to a ‘strategic partnership’ with the European Union, Brazil’s diplomatic activity in the last part of the first decade of the twenty-first century has been intense and, as a French scholar interviewed by Le Monde put it recently, “imaginative.”įostering relations with the developing world was one of the cornerstones of President Lula’s foreign policy. From South America to Africa, from ‘global dialogue’ with the U.S. But part of this success can be credited to a ‘bold and activist’ foreign policy, as befits the country’s dimensions and potential. Much of this results from profound changes Brazil has undergone-such as the consolidation of the democratic process, sound economic performance, and the promotion of social justice-as much as from President Lula’s charismatic personality. Brazil’s role in trade negotiations has been amply recognized, even by those who might regret it. Brazil is a member of several groups that have a crucial role in world governance, such as the G-20, BRICS and BASIC. Brazil has made her presence felt in most international negotiations, from finance to trade, from climate to disarmament.

#PEACEFUL MIDDLE EASTERN COUNTRIES FREE#

In an article about Turkey, the British magazine the Economist (which was often critical of Brazil’s positions and initiatives in subjects ranging from the Free Trade Area of the Americas to the Iranian nuclear program) referred to Brazil as a “diplomatic giant.” After President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s eight years in office, Brazil has reached a new status in international relations, a fact recognized by defenders and critics alike.

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