“You already know the amount of criticism I have received because I decided to meet President Ahmadinejad. And I have decided to go there. I’m going there because I do not want a repeat in Iran of the mistake made in Iraq,” the president said while being honored at a dinner sponsored by the Arab community in São Paulo.
According to Lula, the war against Iraq was the result of a “lie” told by the “great powers” that the country had weapons of mass destruction.
The Brazilian leader said he will try to mediate the differences between the Islamic nation and the countries that disagree with the Iranian nuclear program. “We will put together all these concerns of Brazil and other countries to tell president Ahmadinejad: we want peace.”
Lula also said that he will defend Iran’s right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes, but he will also make it clear that he is against the use of nuclear technology for weapons production.
“I’m going to tell president Ahmadinejad in Tehran: ‘I am against you wanting to make nuclear weapons, but I support you to enrich uranium as Brazil does to generate power'”
In his speech, the president also demanded a more active participation of the United Nations in favor of peace in the Middle East. He pointed out that Brazil can play an important role in mediating conflicts in the region.
“Peace in the Middle East does not depend on the mood of the American government or the European governments, is a necessity for mankind to live in peace,” concluded Lula.