Bush Builds Brazilian Ties

Tag : clear fashion

"It's for real," says Assistant Secretary of State forWestern Hemisphere Affairs Thomas Shannon, speaking of"respect and comfortableness" between the two leaders.Shannon says the two "communicate in as clear and directfashion as possible." Adds Shannon, "Both leaders have avery clear understanding of [what is] at stake in therelationship."
Numerous foreign policy commentators have expressed surprise thatBush would take such a liking to a left-leaning, career laborleader in the person of Lula. But their friendship has"reduced suspicions that might have existed...[and] overcomethat wariness and replaced it with a certain confidence that we canactually get things done," says Shannon.
The Brazil-U.S. agenda includes cooperating on biofuels, fightingmalaria and promoting democracy in Africa, stabilizing Haiti, andstrengthening economic relations, he says. Shannon puts Brazil'sdemocracy and international outlook in a positive light and draws asharp contrast with the situation in Venezuela, led by thefrequently anti-U.S. leftist President Hugo Chavez. "Brazilhas an understanding of its place in the world...that is verymodern and runs very close to our own," he says.
In contrast, Shannon says, Venezuela "harkens back to anotherera." Though some U.S. officials are known to consider Brazila de facto counterweight to Chavez's Venezuela, Shannon doesn'tdescribe it as such and says it was not a term he would use."We've never understood Brazil in terms of Chavez,"Shannon says.
He calls Brazil a regional stabilizing force. Shannon also saysthat under Bush, "there is a focus on big partners" suchas Brazil in Latin America. He adds that the big-partner focusreflected the orientation of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice:"She's really a great-power thinker."