The older ones among us will remember that beautiful oldie that starts "How can I ignore the girl next door, she moves me more than I can say". Well the vast majority of Guyanese may never have visited Brazil but if they did they would no doubt be duly surprised by the size and variety of the giant on our doorstep, ranging from the famous beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema in Rio de Janeiro, to the huge, sprawling metropolis of Sao Paolo, to the famous modern architecture in the capital Brasilia, to the African culture in Bahia and the massive Amazon rainforest. Forty times the size of Guyana with a population of well over 150 million people, Brazil has the tenth largest economy in the world.
A continent-sized country that has borders with ten countries, Ambassador Osmar Chohfi, the Secretary General of External Relations of Brazil said in a speech on Brazil's foreign policy at the Foreign Service Institute during his recent visit that Brazil had unwavering respect for three major principles, no interference in the internal affairs of other countries, non-intervention and peaceful solution of controversies. The last two, he noted, are spelt out in the constitution. The last one will be of particular interest to Guyana, given the fact that it faces unjust territorial claims from two of its neighbours. Given its own multi-border situation Brazil has an enormous vested interest in maintaining the sanctity of treaties and arbitration awards.
Ambassador Chohfi said Brazil's diplomatic style was marked by "constructive moderation". "As a country of medium importance on the international scene, Brazil can only gain from acting with "moderation"". Its objectives in the area of international relations included the strengthening of relations with its neighbours and regional integration. He referred to President Fernando Henrique Cardoso's personal involvement in the peace process between Ecuador and Peru that led to the solution of the border conflict as just one example of the kind of work he has been carrying out, "what we have called "Presidential Diplomacy"". "Through his travels, his dialogue with several international leaders or personalities, and his direct involvement with various foreign policy issues, the President has greatly contributed to enhance Brazil's participation in world affairs". He referred to the First Meeting of South American Presidents called by the President in 2000 in Brasilia attended by all the heads of state including President Bharrat Jagdeo to strengthen cooperation in various fields "such as physical integration of our countries; fighting illicit drugs; and promoting science and technology". The Second Meeting is to be held this year in Ecuador.
Brazil, he said, had also advocated that the temporary secretariat of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty be transformed into a permanent secretariat with headquarters in Brasilia which will lead to the establishment of the Organisation of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty to boost cooperation among Amazon countries. Ambassador Chohfi referred to Mercosur ("a free trade area and a customs union in formation") to which he said Brazil is still fully committed despite the severe economic crisis in Argentina. The Mercosur countries are negotiating as a bloc in the negotiations for a Free Trade Area of the Americas.
Asked at question time about the problem of people moving across borders he acknowledged that Brazilians had emigrated to neighbouring countries including Paraguay, Bolivia, French Guiana, Suriname and Guyana. He said it was impossible to control the flow of people across borders and suggested that the most important thing was to legalise the emigrants' status so as to ensure stability in their lives. He said most of the emigrants were hardworking and honest and came because they saw an economic opening. The government of Guyana had begun the process last year of regularizing Brazilian miners and requiring their registration.
It has been announced that President Cardoso may visit the Caricom Heads of Government meeting scheduled for Guyana in July. The President is near the end of his term but at a time when, as Mr. David Jessop put it in his Sunday column, some Caribbean leaders privately express concern "about the absence of any detailed regional consensus on whether the region's long term interests lie in a relationship with Europe, with the Americas or in some phased process that moves the economic centre of gravity slowly from the former to the latter" it will surely be interesting to hear what President Cardoso has to say.
From Guyana's standpoint, close relations with Brazil should certainly be high on our list of foreign priorities if for no other reason than the important role it can play in helping to maintain the stability of our borders. Brazil, perhaps because of a slight 'distance' from its Spanish speaking neighbours (as one diplomat put it Spain is an aunt not a mother) has always had a special relationship with Guyana and the English speaking Caribbean since their independence. If the road to Brazil can be completed as well as a deep water harbour this would lead to a qualitative change in our economic relationship. Moreover, Brazil manufactures much of the vehicles, heavy equipment and capital goods that we continue to import from Europe and America as a result of historical trading patterns. Improved access to Brazil by sea and road could have an impact on this.
The Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs has still not been set up. It is a pity as this is the sort of fundamental issue that requires in depth discussion at a time when the whole Caribbean is faced with major change and a challenge to its identity.