Lula makes tour with controversial visit to Iran

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is set to embark Thursday on a long international trip to culminate in Iran.

Tehran’s controversial nuclear programme is set to be at the centre of talks between Lula and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who visited Brazil in November.

The Brazilian government has insisted on seeking a negotiated way out of the crisis, in the face of other parties, notably the United States and the European Union, who have called for more sanctions on Iran. Such insistence on talks has prompted criticism of Lula both at home and abroad.

Over the weekend, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner expressed concern that Lula might be duped during his visit to Iran beginning Saturday.

“I fear they might tell Lula things that are not true,” he said.

At home, many others have voiced concern regarding Lula’s position.

“It’s very sad to see a democracy like Brazil associated with countries which violate human rights, like Cuba, Sudan, North Korea and now Iran,” said opposition legislator Raul Jungmann.

Despite the criticism, Lula has stressed that he has faith in dialogue between leaders as a way to overcome crises, and he slammed the policy of sending negotiators who are barely at the “fourth and fifth level” of the decision-making process.

“If you ask the president (Barack Obama, of the United States), (French) President Sarkozy, (German) Chancellor Angela Merkel, (Italian) Prime Minister Berlusconi, if you ask (outgoing British Prime Minister) Gordon Brown, none of them have called Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to talk,” Lula complained.

“Since I was born in politics, I believe in looking in the eye,” he said. “I don’t want Iran to have the right to use nuclear weapons. I want Iran to have the right to use nuclear energy, like Brazil has it.”

The tour is set to start Thursday in Moscow, where Lula is to meet with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. The two leaders are to discuss reform of the UN Security Council, where Lula hopes to see a rise in permanent seats from the current five to 10, with Brazil holding one. Brazil currently holds a temporary seat on the body, which has imposed several rounds of sanctions Tehran for its lack of transparency and refusal to suspend uranium enrichment.

Several bilateral deals, including one on intellectual property and another on military technology were also on the agenda.

On Friday, Lula was expected in Doha for a brief visit, en route to Tehran.

On Monday he was set to be in Madrid for the sixth summit of the European Union and Latin America and the Caribbean (EU-LAC) and for a summit between the European Union and the South American trade bloc Mercosur, led by Brazil.

The tour was to end in Lisbon, where Lula was to take part in a Portuguese-Brazilian summit May 19-20.