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"As long as you do not have complete disarmament, which is what Brazil favors, you are going to have problems with proliferation," declared Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim, at a meeting of the New Agenda Coalition which defends nuclear disarmament.
Amorim said the discussion of the disarmament issue at this year's UN summit was satisfactory. "But it is difficult to deal with the problem and make real progress. The nuclear powers have not advanced since the 2000 meeting when disarmament was discussed at the Non-Proliferation Treaty conference."
During his visit to New York for the UN General Assembly, Amorim met with various other Foreign Ministers.
One of the most important meetings was with the Foreign Minister of Paraguay, Leila Rachid, regarding that country's military agreement with the United States.
Rachid assured Amorim that the present agreement is just a continuation of a program that has been in place since 1943 and that there will not be any increase in the number of American soldiers in Paraguay.
With the French Foreign Minister, Philippe Bouste-Zlady, talks focused on bilateral cooperation in fighting AIDS in Africa and funding for Hunger and Poverty Combat projects. Amorim was also scheduled to meet with the representative of the Palestinian Authority.
"UN reform is not just making changes in the Security Council," declared the Brazilian Foreign Minister.
"Discussions on UN reform will include agencies dealing with the construction of peace and human rights, as well as hunger and poverty. We will also be working to keep the Millennium Goals program alive."
Haiti
Amorim will arrive in Haiti today with an important message: "We should stick to the election calendar and ensure that the elections are open, transparent and as democratic as possible."
Amorim will visit Brazilian troops which have led the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti since it was established last year. There are 1,200 Brazilian soldiers in Haiti, in a peace force of 7,500, which is commanded by Brazilian army general, Urano Bacellar.
Amorim will also meet with local authorities, including the prime minister, Gerard Latortue, and members of the Election Board.
Elections are scheduled for November 15, with a runoff election on December 18 (as there are 54 presidential candidates, a runoff is most probable). A new Haitian government should take office on February 15, 2006.
Agência Brasil
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