Post by Moses on Nov 7, 2005 10:34:23 GMT -5
By NYTimes Poopaganda Power Couple member Bumiller
....Mr. da Silva and Mr. Bush came to Brasília directly from Mar del Plata, where they had been unable to agree on trade issues for a final communiqué that was supposed to represent the views of all 34 countries taking part in the meeting. “The conditions do not exist to attain a hemisphere free trade accord that is balanced and fair, with access to markets, that is free of subsidies and distorting practices,” a clause in the communiqué said, at Brazil’s insistence.
The two men met for more than 90 minutes on Sunday morning, accompanied only by their foreign ministers and national security advisers. Celso Amorim, the Brazilian foreign minister, said the agenda ranged from the trade situation to regional security issues, including Venezuela and Mr. Chávez, and Brazil’s campaign to win a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.
“There was a very good personal chemistry,” Mr. Amorim said after the meeting at a briefing for reporters. “Both men are pragmatists, focused on results.”
At one point, Mr. da Silva even exhibited a map of his country, which is larger than the continental United States. “Wow! Brazil is big,” Mr. Amorim quoted the American president as responding.
After their appearance together, the two presidents and their wives headed off to Mr. da Silva’s residence for an outdoor Brazilian-style barbecue that Mr. Bush later pronounced “unbelievably good.” The menu included several premium cuts of beef, as well as lamb, oxtail and cheese.
But Mr. da Silva also used the occasion to make a political point. Though Brazil has the largest cattle herd in the world, its exports of beef have been crippled in recent weeks by an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease that has led more than 50 countries to suspend their imports. By serving Brazilian beef to Mr. Bush, Mr. da Silva was saying that there is no cause for the rest of the world to be alarmed.
....Mr. da Silva and Mr. Bush came to Brasília directly from Mar del Plata, where they had been unable to agree on trade issues for a final communiqué that was supposed to represent the views of all 34 countries taking part in the meeting. “The conditions do not exist to attain a hemisphere free trade accord that is balanced and fair, with access to markets, that is free of subsidies and distorting practices,” a clause in the communiqué said, at Brazil’s insistence.
The two men met for more than 90 minutes on Sunday morning, accompanied only by their foreign ministers and national security advisers. Celso Amorim, the Brazilian foreign minister, said the agenda ranged from the trade situation to regional security issues, including Venezuela and Mr. Chávez, and Brazil’s campaign to win a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.
“There was a very good personal chemistry,” Mr. Amorim said after the meeting at a briefing for reporters. “Both men are pragmatists, focused on results.”
At one point, Mr. da Silva even exhibited a map of his country, which is larger than the continental United States. “Wow! Brazil is big,” Mr. Amorim quoted the American president as responding.
After their appearance together, the two presidents and their wives headed off to Mr. da Silva’s residence for an outdoor Brazilian-style barbecue that Mr. Bush later pronounced “unbelievably good.” The menu included several premium cuts of beef, as well as lamb, oxtail and cheese.
But Mr. da Silva also used the occasion to make a political point. Though Brazil has the largest cattle herd in the world, its exports of beef have been crippled in recent weeks by an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease that has led more than 50 countries to suspend their imports. By serving Brazilian beef to Mr. Bush, Mr. da Silva was saying that there is no cause for the rest of the world to be alarmed.
