Speech by Minister Antonio de Aguiar Patriota on the occasion of the Power Transfer Ceremony for the Office of Brazilian Ministry of External Relation – Brasília, January 2nd, 2011

 

It is with great enthusiasm that I look forward to the honor of serving the first woman to be elected President of Brazil. The election of a female President is of great intrinsic value as yet another concrete manifestation of the ideals of justice, equity and democracy that unite us all as Brazilian citizens. Our President Dilma Rousseff stands for intellectual honesty, public service, courage in the face of challenges great and small, sensitivity and humanity. For the Ministry of External Relations, she embodies the conviction that Brazil shall continue to assert itself as a major actor whose voice is increasingly heard and respected on the international stage.

 

Dear Ambassador Celso Amorim, who has always been a friend and my boss for many years. Excellency, you have always been and will continue to be an inspiration and source of strength for all of us. It was during your tenure as Minister that Brazil established itself both as an unswerving South American country and a player with global influence. Your legacy will remain as an indelible reference in our diplomatic history. I would like to express to you and your wife, Ana Maria, my wishes of happiness in this new chapter of your lives. Even if in different ways, I am certain that Brazil will continue to benefit from the strength of your intellect and from your moral courage.

 

To reciprocate the trust President Dilma has placed on me, I will rely on the collective effort, which will necessarily require the invaluable contribution and dedication of all my colleagues, i.e. diplomatic and administrative officials and employees, both at the Ministry of External Relations and at our missions abroad.

 

I take the opportunity of this ceremony of transfer of power to make an official invtitation to Ambassador Ruy Nogueira to take on as Deputy Minister of External Relations. His broad experience, professionalism, and personal integrity are particularly treasured at a time when we are faced with an expanding foreign agenda that is increasingly complex, as we empower Itamaraty to defend the interests of a newly asserted country.

 

I shall work in close cooperation with the Deputy Minister, with Undersecretaries and the high officials of the Ministry to carry out an inclusive and all-encompassing administration. An administration that will continue to recognize its employees as its main asset and that will seek to make use of new technologies for the purpose of updating work methods and operations.

 

I believe that the selection of a career diplomat to hold the office of Minister of Foreign Relations should be viewed as a sign of respect towards the specialized staff of this Ministry, as well as a recognition of our commitment to the Brazilian State—a State that is ever more at service of Brazilian society in general, and most and foremost of the underpriviledged.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen, my dear Colleagues,

 

We will steer Brazilian foreign actions towards preserving what we have achieved over the last few years and will build upon the solid foundation established by the government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

 

Brazil has changed a great deal in a relatively short period of time. In an environment of freedom of speech and growing participation of segments that were once excluded from the political process, we have been able to combine economic growth with income distribution, while enhancing our democracy. Progress has been accomplished in upholding human rights, strengthening our citizenship values, modernizing our economic activities, and promoting development that is both fair and environmentally sustainable.

 

We leave behind a time when a number of pitfalls would hinder the scope of our international actions. We do not underestimate how much still needs to be done in order for us to ensure that every Brazilian will have high quality education and healthcare, public safety and dignified employment opportunities. We have achieved a natural authority to engage in the great discussions and decision-making processes on the world agenda, whether political, economic, commercial, environmental, socials or cultural in nature.

 

In the new multipolar configuration that has been shaping geopolitics in the early years of this century, Brazil—with a tradition of peace and tolerance—stands out as an actor with favorable attributes for promoting more inclusive development models and strengthening cooperation among nations through governance mechanisms that are more legitimate and representative.

 

When discussing major contemporary issues, we will remain vigilant to prevent past asymmetries from being established within new decision-making groups, which had ignored the legitimate aspirations of those countries not included in them. The G20s and other groups will only be able to consolidate their authority if the remain attuned to the aspirations and interests of more than 150 countries represented in their meetings.

 

We need to be prepared for greater demand for Brazil to participate in every issue on the international front. For this purpose, we have a considerable network of missions abroad; the expansion of which is perhaps bound to decelerate a bit. However, we need to continue to form a well-trained, effective staff corps to ensure a degree of autonomous thinking that is consistent with our status of a global player.

 

We should bear in mind that, as the seventh largest economy in the world and having implemented a set of economic and social policies that have produced many tangible results, Brazil will be the focus of some natural expectations in terms of diversified types of cooperation with less developed countries—in Latin America and the Caribbean, in Africa, in the Middle East, and in Asia. Our capabilities to provide technical cooperation, assistance in pursuing successful public policies and providing humanitarian aid will require some updating in order to meet this demand, despite considerable advances over the last few years.

 

Today we live in a world in which old consensus is increasingly challenged and former opinion-makers face growing difficulties in establishing their ideas. Irresponsible military incursions and reckless economic actions that have destabilized the international order over the last few years now require each participant in the system to fully do their part in dealing with the issues that affect all indiscriminately. Brazil will neither shy away from defending its immediate and specific national interests nor will it fail to affirm its identity in terms of the overarching goals associated with the values that define us as a society. We will continue to favor dialogue and diplomacy as the solution for disputes and controversies; support and uphold international law and the principles of non-intervention and multilateralism. We will continue to fight for a world that is free from nuclear weapons; to combat discrimination, preconceived ideas, and arbitrary actions; and to reject the use of force when it is not based on the commitments that bring us together as an international community.

 

A single glance at the world around us will demonstrate how appropriate our decision of the last few years was to promote sub-regional, regional and global agendas that both complement and expand the others—which does not prevent us from seeking to adjust and rethink the focus on certain topics, as a result of new developments both on the domestic and international fronts.

 

Based on our South American region, we will be able to count on a strong MERCOSUL and an increasingly cohesive UNASUL. It will be up to us to complete the task of transforming South America into a fully integrated region, in human, physical and economic terms, where political coordination and dialogue will ensure the preservation of peace and democracy. A place where the ties we have established among our political leaderships, private sectors and societies will contribute towards a region that is unified for the purpose of promoting better living standards for our peoples.

 

The relationship between Brazil and Argentina is central to this endeavor. Today we enjoy a full-blown relationship with advances on a broad range of initiatives in areas such as air and space cooperation and nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. Each of our neighbors in South America will increasingly be given special attention. It is the responsibility of the governments in the region to work harder and better to close the gaps in interaction and knowledge about each other that still characterize the relationships among the countries in the region. The future we share requires that we learn more about each others’ histories, demography, economic potentials and cultures—from Tierra del Fuego to Margarita Island. There will be no integration without constant dialogue, intellectual engagement and even, in my opinion, emotion and idealism. It is in this path that we need to follow.

 

In addition to South America, a process that began with a Latin America and Caribbean Summit on Integration and Development in Costa do Sauípe has developed into the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). We will continue to be engaged in an agenda of cooperation with the Caribbean countries, the high point of which is the Brazil-CARICOM Summit. Our commitment to Haiti, which continues to face new challenges, is an integral part of this context.

 

The priority given to our neighbors will not be pursued to the detriment of having close relations with other Southern regions and the developed countries. We are interested in intensifying relations with a plurality of partners in realms that include trade, investment and political dialogue, among many others. In a world with persistent North-South dichotomies, Brazil’s diplomatic actions may contribute to promote more balanced relations around shared interests. Our own essential needs in terms of economic, social and technological development will guide our pursuit of partnerships in a wide variety of topics, such as education, innovation, energy, agriculture, industrial productivity and defense, without forsaking the environment, the promotion of human rights, culture, and migratory issues.

 

I will not enumerate all strategic partnerships that were established nor will I mention all the interregional mechanisms developed over the last few years, under the leadership of Ambassador Celso Amorim, which we will continue to nurture and enhance. I highlight IBSA, for its symbolic nature as a bridge mechanism along three major multi-ethnic democracies of the South. I would like to add that I have talked with President Dilma about presidential travels for the next few months, which will include visits to our neighboring countries and some of our major economic and trade partners, such as the United States and China.

 

The ASPA Summit, which will take place in Lima, Peru, in February, 2011, will be as a valuable opportunity for the President to meet with the leaders of Latin America and Arab countries. In addition, I am committed to maintaining an active agenda with our partners in Africa—enhancing our cooperation and dialogue with this brotherly continent.

 

The presence of high-level officials from a wide variety of countries at President Dilma’s inauguration, many of whom are here today—from our own region, from Europe, Africa, the Middle East or the Far East—can only be seen as the reciprocal interest of governments from everywhere in the world, with diverse levels of development, in strengthening their ties with Brazil. With diplomatic relations with virtually all country members of the United Nations, Brazil can assert today that its diplomatic performance is truly universal.

 

Aside from our regional priorities, our inclusive and diversified partnerships and increased global governance, I could not fail to mention the importance we will continue to give to the Brazilian communities abroad. We will continue to value consular activities and carry on pioneering initiatives such as the Council of Brazilian Representatives Abroad.

 

In addition to the progress already achieved, we acknowledge that much still needs to be done for Brazil to fully realize the dream of being affirmed as a democratic country that is socially fair; so that its stance in the world will fully reflect our vocation for dialogue and cooperation. Ultimately, this project will always be a work in progress, in which the next generations inherit the achievements and unfulfilled aspirations of previous ones.

 

Challenges will emerge in the economic, financial, commercial and environmental arenas that will require careful domestic coordination among different government agencies and interactions with the private sector, unions and the organizations of civil society. Concerns with creating and maintaining competitive industries and exports will require strategies that offer opportunities for us to strike a balance between advancing our trade interests and imposing trade remedies.

 

We will remain in contact with France as the G20 Financial Chair and other interlocutors, including the BRICS, to ensure an environment that is conducive to a sustainable economic recovery and impervious to protectionist pressures. It is towards this same goal that we will seek to achieve ambitions and balance results in the negotiations of the Doha Round.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

We are committed to doing what it takes to establish broad lines of communication with the various government agencies with which we work such as the Justice, Defense, Industry, Commerce and Trade, Finance, Human Rights, the Environment and other ministries. We will do the same with the Legislative and Judicial branches of government and also, in general, with the organizations of civil society, the business community and ordinary citizens. I would like to see the Ministry of External Relations having interactions with all Brazilian states. In fact, foreign policy is at the service of all levels of government in all regions of Brazil. Therefore, we should not shy away from proposing that appropriate funds be allocated for us to carry out this task.

 

It is also important to highlight that, at any given time, we should explain to the public how we see the world and the way in which we will interact with the world. We will thus contribute to the open and honest discussion that we wish to continue to promote about our foreign policy.

 

Messrs. Ambassadors, my Dear Colleagues and Friends,

 

We have a lot of work ahead of us, in many fronts. We have inherited a country that that enjoys excellent economic and political conditions; we have a Foreign Ministry that is respected around the world; we benefit from a time of highly motivated and creative leadership. Without minimizing the challenges that lay ahead, I would like to assure you that I will dedicate all my physical and mental stamina, the commitment of an entire life devoted to diplomacy, some wisdom and humor I may have learned from my wife, Tania, and my children, Miguel e Thomas, to contribute to making Brazil, South America and the entire world increasingly more prosperous, fair and democratic.