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Brazil’s Foreign Minister Carlos Franca points out that Brazil is doing its best for its own benefit, which means building close ties with the United States, Russia and China, and its practical policies. Explained to other countries in the world.
Franca sat in an exclusive and extensive interview with FoxNews Digital when she visited New York last week. Brazil is the replacement chair of the UN Security Council this month. He said the president’s focus was on the outcome of the war in Ukraine, which is likely to include a private meeting on the consequences of food insecurity caused by the war.
Understanding the criticism of the UN Security Council and the lack of progress in stopping the war, Franca added that the best way for peace is to increase dialogue and force diplomacy into the situation.
Regarding Russia’s position on Ukraine’s invasion, Franca called for an immediate suspension, saying, “We are on Brazil’s side … Brazil is a global player, so we need to stand on one side, Ukraine’s side. There is no such thing. ” , Or Russia … We have the right to take the foreign policy that best suits what we consider to be our national interest. “
He said his country was “in a very balanced position” with respect to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He said Brazil had criticized the Russians at the UN Security Council. The UN Security Council is an appropriate and concrete forum for discussing war and security issues and peace issues, questioning the need for other UN agencies to address this issue.
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President Jair Bolsonaro has a good relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin and he said he could help if asked to mediate peace.
Franca recently met with both Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of State Sergey Lavrov of Russia at the G20 Ministerial Conference in Bali, Indonesia. When Lavrov was asked if he was ready to end Russia’s war with Ukraine, Franca said, “I think our conversation was not so straightforward … but of course I asked him about the opportunity for peace.” Said. Franca explained that Brazil defends the sovereignty of the country. Therefore, an immediate ceasefire is needed and will be the first important step for now.
Brazil is the largest country in South America and has always had a close relationship with the United States, but in recent years it has a very close relationship with Beijing.
Franca said China is his country’s largest trading partner and Brazil’s exports to China are greater than its trade with the United States. As a member of the BRICS group’s countries, including China and Russia, Franca talked about his close relationship with the country. Beijing.
He praised Beijing’s help during the pandemic. “We keep the value chain open, the port open, we keep the cargo flowing. You can trust it. That’s the message the Chinese understand. So they are our good partners. “”
Foreign Minister said last year that Brazil exported more to Asia except China and Japan than to the European Union. He said this could be a trend focused on Asia, including ASEAN countries and China. He suggested that “if you are in the Western Hemisphere, Brazil should probably be the focus of more American investment.”
Franca also said it was important for more US companies to come and invest in Brazil. He pointed out an interview with Tucker Carlson earlier this month, as Bolsonaro called for more investment from American companies, as “Brazil sees itself as a global player from a global trade perspective.” He said it would be a good offset.
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Franca said Brazil does not consider China a threat. “We don’t see China as a threat. I think China is a superpower that we can deal with if we deal with it and build mutually beneficial relationships. I wonder who first helped Brazil with the vaccine, a pandemic. I have to tell you that it was in China during the darkest time of the year. The first vaccine that arrived was from China, “he said.
When asked about security threats to China, Franca said discussions were more “active” in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. “You have a Chinese company, an American company, and a European company. It’s much more common in those countries than in countries like Brazil. I think it’s definitely an argument. “”
While talking about the risks and fallouts of excessive dependence on China, with Sri Lanka as a prime example, Fox News Digital asked Franca for advice on how Brazil would deal with China, he intellectual property. Properties, spies, and security that had to be provided to US policy makers regarding theft. Franca said it would be difficult to give advice to other countries on what he said to deal with a “superpower” like China.
Franca said China was a developing country only 20 years ago. Increasingly and very quickly, there are no problems dealing with China. ”
He went on to say, “As I told you, we see Brazil as a global player, so we can have a relationship with China and the United States.”
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President Trump and his Brazilian counterpart, Bolsonaro, shared a close bond, but reports suggest that they disagreed with the Biden administration. Regarding the importance of institutional relations between the United States and Brazil, Franca emphasized the importance of historical relations.
“The most important thing is the historical roots that connect Brazil and the United States. We share the same common values. Given the Constitution, we know the basics and foundations of the Brazilian Constitution. Has the same values they have from the independence of the United States. “He means that it means a strong democratic system with independent judiciary, respect for civil rights, and a strong parliament, and both countries have the same foundation. Said to have.
Franca said at the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles last month that a high-level meeting between President Biden and President Bolsonaro had some positive results.
“I think the outlook is very good. It was the day that President Bolsonaro recently arrived in Los Angeles for a meeting with President Biden and, of course, attended the Summit of the Americas. President Bolsonaro signed the legislation in force. The agreement, signed between the two governments in 2020, said the agreement would ease foreign trade between the two countries by reducing the bureaucracy, making things bothersome for both importers and exporters. rice field.
When it comes to trade, Franca has made it clear that relations with the United States remain strong. He said he enjoyed a very good dialogue with Blinken. He said they met as a bystander at the recent G20 meeting in Bali and Brazil was invited to a conference on global supply chains hosted by Blinken next week.
He was bullish on US-Brazil cooperation in the space industry. In 2019, Presidents Trump and Bolsonaro signed a technical safeguards agreement. This will allow the United States to use Brazil’s Alcantara Aerospace Launch Station for satellites. Franca said he was looking forward to the future of the Alcantara launch site.
“The Alcantara launch site is a very efficient location, so it’s really wondering if spacecraft need to be sent into space, which means they use less fuel than other launch sites. Because it’s so close to the United States. We’re in the same western hemisphere, so it makes perfect sense if we can participate in the efforts to make it possible. “He said,” it will be a reality in the near future. ” I’m sure.
When asked why he thinks the continent has recently shifted to the left, Franca said it could be due to the economic impact of the pandemic, but said it was a more “sociological inference”. He said, but did not believe that the ideology “may interfere with international relations.” And he focused on the relationship between his country and Peru. Peru elected left-wing President Pedro Castillo, but he and right-wing Bolsonaro were able to work on common interests.
He said the two presidents had recently met and shared interest in tourism, border security, and stopping drug traffickers and dealers, calling Peru a good partner. He said that even if they had ideological values, they could still work together.
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But Franca set itself apart from people like Venezuela and Cuba. He said they do not share the values of freedom of speech and democracy, which hinders such relationships. “It would be very difficult to deal with a country like Venezuela. They don’t have free elections, you know, democracy, that’s a question mark, you have a political prisoner … he Said it would be an obstacle to fluid relationships. ”
He also noted that Iran and Venezuela have a close relationship and admitted that they have a good relationship. He concludes that Venezuela today is “not a good example for the region in terms of democracy, freedom of speech, and these values that we currently share with the United States, and respect for the Western world in general.” Attached.
Frank Miles of Fox News contributed to this report.