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— Foreign policy achievements
BY DR ANDRESTINOS N. PAPADOPOULOS, AMBASSADOR A.H.
Today’s new world order is mostly led by non-western giants, such as China, India and Brazil. Brazil rose as a major player with global influence through hard work at home. As a result, it managed to acquire the authority to engage in decision-making processes on the world agenda, whether political, economic, commercial, environmental, social or cultural in nature. Thus, its voice is being increasingly heard and respected internationally and its favourable attributes for promoting development and strengthening cooperation among nations are duly used. All this is due to the changes brought about by President Lula, who believed and invested in the immense creativity and productive energy of the Brazilian people. Using the arts of soft power, political skill and economic growth he managed in an environment of enhanced democracy to create millions of jobs, double the growth rate, end a long period of dependence on the IMF and overcome Brazil’s external debt. Simply, he made Brazil a great and strong country.
As it is well known, the strength of a country is reflected in its foreign policy. Based, therefore, on the country’s diplomatic values, the Brazilian foreign policy aims at fostering peace, respecting the principle of non-intervention, defending human rights and strengthening multilateralism. It, therefore, favours dialogue and diplomacy as the solution of disputes, supports and upholds international law and continues to fight for a world that is free from nuclear weapons, to combat discrimination and arbitrary actions, and to reject the use of force which is not based on international commitments. To achieve all these goals Brazil is forging still closer ties with its South-American neighbours, its brothers in Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa, as well as the peoples of the Middle East and Asia, while maintaining and deepening its relations with the United States and the European Union. At the same time, it pays great attention to emerging countries and contributes to international financial stability, with highly qualified interventions in multilateral fora.
As a country which has never had war for over 140 years with its thirteen neighbours, Brazil is defending peace in a way that is not allowing it to be indifferent to the existence of enormous nuclear arsenals, nuclear proliferation, terrorism and transnational organized crime.
Having diplomatic relations with virtually all country members of the United Nations, Brazil can assert that its diplomatic performance is truly universal. In this respect, we should mention its work for the reform of entities for international governance, especially the U.N. and its Security Council. Moreover, mention should be made of the importance Brazil is attaching to its communities abroad, which are being served by a huge network of consular missions, career or honorary.
As the seventh largest economy in the world and having implemented a set of economic and social policies that have produced tangible results, Brazil is guided by its desire to act decisively in multilateral fora in defence of healthy and balanced economic policies. It, therefore, actively participates in the works of BRICS (Brazil – Russia – India – China – South Africa). This economic forum has been established in 2009, on the initiative of Russia, and gained international recognition from the outset. The proof of its importance lies in the fact that its member countries, combined, account for 26% of the world’s land area, 42% of the world’s population and 14,6% of the world’s GDP. BRICS’s performance justifies the conviction of Brazil that the more developing countries discuss and cooperate, the more their voices are being heard.
Another landmark of Brazilian diplomacy is the creation in 2003 of a new group of developing countries, the IBSA, between India, Brazil and South Africa. Here we have three countries which are three great democracies (China was excluded as non-democratic), three multiracial and multicultural societies, one in each continent of the developing world. Its three pillars are: political consultation and coordination, sectoral cooperation and the implementation of projects through the Fund for Poverty and Hunger Alleviation. Having identified vast areas of common ground in their foreign policies, the IBSA countries took advantage, whenever possible, to jointly articulate their common vision of a more democratic international order with respect for international law and a commitment to improved multilateralism as its core.
In the case of Palestine, as they enjoy good relations of cooperation and friendship with both the Arab world and Israel, the IBSA countries are in a privileged position to push for an early resumption of peace negotiations. Brazil recognizes the Palestinian state within the 1967 borders and favours Palestine’s full membership of the United Nations. Concerning the “Arab Spring”, being vehemently opposed to the brutal repression of civilian populations, the IBSA countries expressed their readiness to contribute to a peaceful transition in the Arab world, in line with the aspirations of the protesters that have taken to the streets.
Against such background, despite the fact that the IBSA countries constitute an economic and political South-South cooperation, they acquire an international profile as emerging powers acting beyond their respective regional borders, thus contributing to a more balanced governance of world affairs.
In the political field, mention should be made of the Brazilian efforts to broker a nuclear deal with Iran in collaboration with Turkey which resulted in the Teheran Declaration of May 17, 2010. In the pursuit of a solution to the vexing question of the Iranian nuclear programme, Brazil was guided by its strong scepticism about the power of sanctions, as in most cases they affect the most vulnerable people and they do not change the course of action of leaders. On June 9, 2010 the UN Security Council voted in favour of sanctions and as was expected, Brazil voted No.
Last but not least, concerning the vital role of the UN Security Council, Brazil stands firmly in favour of its reform, believing that it will increasingly enhance its legitimacy. The world needs a Security Council that reflects contemporary realities, a Council that brings in new permanent and non-permanent members, thus increasing its credibility and effectiveness. After 18 years of debate on Security Council reform, it is high time to take a decision, and in this respect Brazil is ready to shoulder its responsibilities as a permanent member of the Council.
Concluding, Brazil is a force of peace, stability and prosperity in its own region and beyond. It augers well that it decided to open an Embassy in Nicosia, in February. We trust that the first Ambassador of Brazil to the Republic of Cyprus, Dante Coelho de Lima, will make a contribution of value to the strengthening of the friendly relations between the two countries, on the basis of the good work done so far by Hagop and Garo Keheyan, the Honorary Consuls of Brazil.
