A mission from the Italian National Confederation of Industries will visit Brazil early in 2006 “for the purpose of establishing contacts with Brazilian companies interested in industrial partnerships.”
The information is part of a joint declaration released by the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Relations following a meeting between Minister Celso Amorim and the Italian Chancellor and Vice-Premier, Gianfranco Fini.
In the document the two Ministers highlight bilateral technical cooperation in the areas of culture, science and technology, and the cultural industry.
And they agree to maintain an exchange of information on negotiations between the Mercosur and the European Union.
In a press conference at the Itamaraty Palace, Amorim said that “in his baggage, Minister Fini brought a large number of ideas and a lot of enthusiasm which will serve as energy to stimulate our cooperation.”
Regarding Brazil’s chances of occupying a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, Amorim said that there are differences of opinion between the two countries, but, perhaps, they will vanish over time.
“Viewing the UN in the long run, I believe that we all desire a stronger organization. The Security Council has to be more active, more legitimate, more representative, and more effective in its actions,” he added.
Amorim defended the creation of a South American bloc, so that, in the future, not just Brazil, but other South American countries, as well, can occupy permanent seats on the UN Security Council.
“This contributes to a greater balance of forces, and that is the sense of our endeavor.”
The joint declaration informs that the Brazilian and Italian Chancellors agree on “the need to reform the United Nations, to equip the organization better to handle the challenges facing the international community.”
Regarding the meeting in Scotland of the G8, composed of the world’s most industrialized countries and Russia, Amorim said that he would like to see the group enlarged.
“We are not revolutionaries; we are reformers. That is why we agreed to participate in the meeting.”
ABr – www.radiobras.gov.br