Brazilian President on ME peace :
Immediate end to Gaza blockade urged
BRAZIL: Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on
Wednesday called for lifting of Israel's blockade on the Gaza Strip and
creation of an "independent, sovereign, cohesive" Palestinian state that
can live in peace with Israel.
When meeting with his Syrian counterpart Bashar Al-Assad, Lula
reiterated his country's position that the conflicts in the Middle East
affect everyone and should be resolved peacefully through negotiation.
"It is an urgency to see the region in peace," he said, adding that
is the message he took during his recent visits to Israel, Gaza, Jordan,
Qatar and Iran.
In particular, the Brazilian president demanded an end to the
three-year-old blockade on Gaza after the raid by Israeli commandos on a
Gaza-bound aid flotilla in late May, which killed nine pro-Palestinian
activists. "We believe that blockades do not contribute to peace. The
incident with the humanitarian fleet, being attacked in international
waters, shows that it is time to lift the blockade on Gaza," he said.
"There will be no true reconciliation if there are winners and
losers. We like to see the region at peace with all people living in
harmony."
Lula also said he supports the return to Syria the Golan Heights
captured by Israel during the 1967 Middle East war.
"We support the principle of 'land for peace' to ensure the return of
the Golan Heights to Syria," he said. For his part, Assad hailed an
agreement reached by Tehran with Brazil and Turkey on May 17 for the
exchange of Iranian low-enriched uranium, which was rejected by the
Western powers. "This agreement shows Iran's willingness to negotiate,
while Israel threatens peace in the region with the possession of
nuclear weapons," he said.
After the meeting, the two leaders witnessed the signing of
cooperation agreements on extradition, educational and health.
In the past few years, Brazil and Syria increased their economic
relations. Trade volume between the two countries jumped from 78 million
U.S. dollars in 2003 to 307 million U.S. dollars last year. Brasilia,
Thursday, Xinhua |