26 May 2010

The international community, including Turkey and Brazil, is in staunch opposition to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. We are also dedicated to achieving a world without nuclear weapons. In the case of the Iranian nuclear program, we firmly believe that a process of result-oriented negotiation is needed to avoid a slide toward conflict.

Lack of trust and confidence has been hindering positive movement on this issue, which is critical for regional security and prosperity. We are emboldened, however, by what has been achieved in Tehran only days ago.

Since October 2009, the focus has been on a deal to provide fuel to the Tehran Research Reactor in exchange for the removal of 1,200 kilograms of low-enriched uranium from Iran’s stocks. As proposed by the International Atomic Energy Agency, this deal would be a confidence-building measure as well as a humanitarian requirement in view of the research reactor’s role in the diagnosis and treatment of almost a million patients in Iran.

The deal fell apart at the end of last year amid mutual suspicion. In consultation with the United States and other allies, Turkey and Brazil intervened to broker a new accord. The joint declaration that was signed by Turkey, Brazil and Iran in Tehran on May 17 reflected a major breakthrough.

Accordingly, Iran agreed to remove from its territory 1,200 kilograms of low-enriched uranium — the exact amount specified by the I.A.E.A. proposal — within one month once the appropriate arrangements are concluded. The low-enriched uranium would be deposited in Turkey in one batch. The deposit will be made at the beginning of the process before any amount of nuclear fuel is delivered to Iran. The Tehran declaration also states that the nuclear fuel exchange will create a positive and constructive atmosphere, thus presenting an opportunity for a forward-looking process. Thus, it reopens the prospect of broader negotiations with Iran in any place, including Turkey and Brazil.

This joint declaration is not only the result of our dedicated work but also the culmination of the engagement strategy put in place by President Obama and followed by the other P5+1 countries — Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany — as part of a vision of enhanced and effective multilateral cooperation. Definitive action must now be taken to make sure that there is a sustained and working engagement track. There is only one viable solution to disagreements with Iran over its nuclear program, and that is a negotiated diplomatic solution.

Some critics of the Tehran declaration refer to the fact that it does not treat all problems surrounding Iran’s nuclear program. This was never the purpose of the original agreement. But we believe that the declaration helps to address the entire issue by providing essential confidence-building, the key missing component thus far. It creates the long-sought opportunity to address the issues through dialogue and engagement. The Tehran declaration needs to be given the opportunity to work. Threats and rhetorical statements need to be avoided. As was clear during the negotiations of the declaration, fulfillment of all pledges and commitments is essential for the continued engagement of all parties involved, including Brazil and Turkey.

In the presence of deep mutual mistrust there will always be those who display skepticism about the feasibility of any negotiated outcome. But there is now sufficient substance to give negotiations a chance. Missing it may well be regretted for generations to come.

Ahmet Davutoglu and Celso Amorim are foreign ministers, respectively, of Turkey and Brazil.

Source: International Herald Tribune

1. We reaffirm our commitment to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of     Nuclear Weapons and in accordance with the related articles of the NPT, recall the right of all State Parties, including the Islamic Republic of Iran, to develop research, production and use of nuclear energy (as well as nuclear fuel cycle including enrichment activities) for peaceful purposes without discrimination.

2. We express our strong conviction that we have the opportunity now to begin a forward looking process that will create a positive, constructive, non-confrontational atmosphere leading to an era of interaction and cooperation.

3. We believe that the nuclear fuel exchange is instrumental in initiating cooperation in different areas, especially with regard to peaceful nuclear cooperation including nuclear power plant and research reactors construction.

4. Based on this point the nuclear fuel exchange is a starting point to begin cooperation and a positive constructive move forward among nations. Such a move should lead to positive interaction and cooperation in the field of peaceful nuclear activities replacing and avoiding all kinds of confrontation through refraining from measures, actions and rhetorical statements that would jeopardize Iran’s rights and obligations under the NPT.

5. Based on the above, in order to facilitate the nuclear cooperation mentioned above, the Islamic Republic of Iran agrees to deposit 1200 kg LEU in Turkey. While in Turkey this LEU will continue to be the property of Iran. Iran and the IAEA may station observers to monitor the safekeeping of the LEU in Turkey.

6. Iran will notify the IAEA in writing through official channels of its agreement with the above within seven days following the date of this declaration. Upon the positive response of the Vienna Group (US, Russia, France and the IAEA) further details of the exchange will be elaborated  through a written agreement and proper arrangement between Iran and the Vienna Group  that specifically committed themselves to deliver 120 kg of fuel needed for the Tehran Research Reactor (TRR).

7. When the Vienna Group declares its commitment to this provision, both sides will implement the agreement in paragraph 6. Iran is prepared to deposit the LEU in Turkey on the basis of the agreement in no later than one month. On the basis of the same agreement the Vienna Group should deliver 120 kg fuel required for the TRR to Iran in no later than one year.

8. In case the provisions of this Declaration are not respected Turkey, upon the request of Iran, will return swiftly and unconditionally Iran’s LEU to Iran.

9. Turkey and Brazil welcomed the continued readiness of the Islamic Republic of Iran to pursue its talks with the 5+1 countries in any place, including Turkey and Brazil, on the common concerns based on collective commitments according to the common points of their proposals.

10. Turkey and Brazil appreciated Iran’s commitment to the NPT and its constructive role in pursuing the realization of nuclear rights of its Member States. The Islamic Republic of Iran likewise appreciated the constructive efforts of the friendly countries Turkey and Brazil in creating the conducive environment for the realization of Iran’s rights.

Manucher Mottaki
Minister of External Relations of the Islamic Republic of Iran

Ahmet Davutoğlu
Minister of Foreign Affairs  of the Republic of Turkey

Celso Amorim
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federative Republic of Brazil

Source: Ministry of External Relations

Brazil filed yesterday, under the WTO Dispute Settlement Mechanism, a request for consultations with the European Union (EU) and the Netherlands concerning the seizure of generic medicines in transit.

Since 2008, EU authorities have seized a number of consignments in transit in its territory, containing medicines, under the allegation that such consignments were suspected of infringing intellectual property rights in the countries of transit. One of these seizures affected a consignment of Losartan Potassium destined to Brazil, which was seized by Dutch authorities in December 2008 and never reached its final destination.

Brazil is of the view that the seizure of goods due to alleged patent infringements in the country of transit is a clear violation of the WTO disciplines on the freedom of transit, which is one of the cornerstones of the multilateral trading system. This is even clearer when there is no doubt on the lack of patent protection for the goods either in the exporting country or in the importing country.

These measures in general have a highly negative systemic impact on legitimate commerce, South-South trade and national health policies in the developing countries. In addition, programs sponsored by international aid agencies are also being disrupted by the seizures of generic medicines.

Since early 2009, when the Losartan case was made public, Brazil raised this issue in different fora, such as the WTO General Council and TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) Council, as well as bilaterally with the EU.

Despite all these efforts, the Regulation 1383/2003 that provides the legal basis for the seizures remains unchanged, causing lack of predictability and increased costs of medicines at the destination markets.

Brazil has engaged the EU in a series of discussions aiming at resolving these issues. These efforts are ongoing and Brazil hopes that the consultations requested today contribute to finding a mutually satisfactory outcome.

Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Despite mounting evidence, some still insist in blaming biofuels for food insecurity, especially in poor countries. This view is based on the wrong assumption that food crops would be replaced with biofuels production, which would aggravate hunger in the least developed regions. Evidence provided by FAO, however, shows that only 1% of the cultivated area is destined to the production of biofuels. Even if an extraordinary increase in the area destined to biofuel crops were considered, the scale of production would never be enough to threaten global food security.

The Brazilian example actually vindicates how biofuels may contribute to strengthening food security. In Brazil, biofuels production increases agricultural productivity as a whole, through a competitive production chain and improvements in infrastructure (ports, highways, railways etc). Proper technology in place, land use carefully planned, technical assistance provided and agroecological zoning plan effective, the results are a sustainable production of biofuels and a boost to food production. Besides, the alleged expansion of the area destined to the crops needed for biofuels may well take place in barren and depleted areas, resulting in agriculture and livestock productivity gains.

The Brazilian example is far from an exception. More than a hundred countries have potential for growing crops with the purpose of obtaining bioenergy. The production and use of biofuels could be used to enhance progress in the least developed countries.

Building a modern and effective agricultural sector allows for the production of food and bioenergy in a sustainable way. The Nobel Prize Winner in Economic Sciences, Amartya Sen, claims that hunger and malnutrition have less to do with food scarcity than with access to food, due to lacking purchasing power in poor societies.

Brazil is proud of its biofuels program and is willing to share its achievements with other developing countries. As President Lula has once pointed out, biofuels are among the most promising driving forces of sustainable development. We expect to make it clear to biofuel detractors that bioenergy projects have the very vocation of integrating, auspiciously, energy and food production. In order to be able to do so, barriers to trade and subsidies enforced by developed countries should be curbed, since they hinder the development of the agricultural sector in the least developed countries.

Source: Ambassador André Amado, Ministry of External Relations

Useful link: http://www.mre.gov.br/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=954

Alliance of Civilizations, to be held from May 27 to 29, 2010, in Rio de Janeiro, must fill out the form available at http://inscricoes.aliancadecivilizacoes.mre.gov.br/f2.

All the requested information, as well as the required documents, must be sent in electronic format until May 21,  2010.

Source: Ministry of External Relations

Go Brazil: Forget Ipanema and Copacabana: the best beaches in Brazil are hiding up the coast. They’re the country’s best-kept secret, writes Alannah Sparks

WHEN THE SUN begins to dip on Tiririca beach, and the shadows of the palm trees lengthen on the brilliant-white sand, two things happen. Firstly, the surfers start to trickle in from their day of wave bashing, rhapsodising about the best breaks. Secondly, it’s time for a passion-fruit caipirinha.

The sundown caipirinha maracujá is a sublime experience. Deceptively refreshing, the sweet and tangy lumps of the fruit make their way up through your straw, mixed with potent amounts of cachaca, the famed firewater, which is drunk in vast quantities on a typical trip to Brazil. Read more.

2. The Ministers indicated that India, Brazil and South Africa, as members of the IBSA Forum, are convinced that a comprehensive peace in the Middle East is crucial, not only for the peoples and countries of the region, but also for the international peace and security.

3. In line with the relevant UN Resolutions, the Madrid principles, the Road Map and the Arab Peace Initiative, the IBSA countries call for the urgent resumption of negotiations that will lead to a two-state solution, with the creation of a sovereign, democratic, independent, united and viable Palestinian State, coexisting peacefully alongside Israel, within secure, pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

4. They note that a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace process, including between Israel and Palestine, must reach concrete progress on all tracks and reiterate their support to efforts aimed at reactivating talks between Israel, Syria and Lebanon. An enlarged participation of the international community in this endeavour, including developing countries with good relations with all parties, could bring a fresh perspective to the peace process, and IBSA countries will actively support this process.

5. The IBSA countries strongly urge the Israeli government to freeze all settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territories, including “natural growth”, and to reverse its decision to advance planning for new housing units in East Jerusalem. Concerned by the continuing deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Gaza, they also call on Israel to alleviate circulation restrictions on the movement of people and goods, both in Gaza and in the West Bank. In addition, they expressed deep concern at the issuance by Israel of Military Order 1650.

6. Conflicts in the Middle East remain essentially political in nature and cannot be resolved by force. The IBSA countries therefore call upon all actors not to pursue policies, measures and actions that inflict damage and suffering, particularly to civilians.

7. They express support for mediation efforts with a view to reaching domestic Palestinian reconciliation and urge all interested parties to contribute to that purpose. They call on the international community to contribute, on a sustained, concrete and urgent basis, to the state-building efforts undertaken by the Palestinian National Authority, recalling the IBSA readiness to continue its commitments in this regard.

8. IBSA countries will continue consultations on the matter.

Source: Ministry of External Relations