In New York, after having addressed the world from the UN podium and before flying back to Brazil, Brazilian President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, defended Iran's right to maintain and develop its own nuclear program and stressed that the Iranian government hasn't committed any crime.
"I believe in negotiations," said Lula, adding, "Nobody should be punished in advance. If the president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, wants to enrich uranium and deal with the nuclear issue in a peaceful manner as Brazil is doing, this is Iran's right."
The president reminded reporters that all countries in the world are subject to UN's control and once again expressed his support for Ahmadinejad: "Heretofore, Iran has not committed any crime against UN's resolutions in regard to nuclear weapons."
Earlier Lula had showed optimism over negotiations with the United States and the European Union on farm subsidies in the context of the World Trade Organization's Doha round : "We are now closer to a negotiation than in any other historical period. It is still going to be difficult, but I am convinced that we will get to a voting before the end of the year," stated Lula.
Talking at the opening of the 62nd UN's General Assembly, this Tuesday morning, right after the session was opened by the secretary general Ban Ki-moon, the Brazilian president stressed the importance of the environment and its relation with wealth distribution around the world.
"The world," said Lula, "will not modify its irresponsible relation with nature unless it modifies the relation with development and the sharing of riches."
Lula also used the UN platform to pat himself on the back: "Brazilians' standard of living got better, job offer and income increased, the minimum wage's purchase power also went up. Our resources are scarce, but we still obtained surprising results.
"The Bolsa Família (Family Voucher) program, flagship of Zero Hunger, guarantees a minimum income to more than 11 million Brazilian families. With good food, people recover their dignity, are healthier, learn better.
And he went on: "To set resources aside for the social area is not expenditure, it is investment. If we were able to do so much in Brazil, imagine what could be done in a global scale if the fight against hunger and poverty became, in fact, a priority for the international community.
"Where there is hunger there is no hope, there is instead desolation and pain. Hunger feeds violence and fanaticism and a world of starving people will never be a safe place."
The Brazilian chief of state offered Brazil to once again host an international environmental conference to be held in 2012. Rio hosted Echo 92, which is also known as Rio 92. In 2002 South Africa opened its doors to the participants of Rio+10.
