Alexandre Rocha*
São Paulo – Jordanian prince El Hassan Bin Talal, president of the Club of Rome, stated yesterday (21) that Latin America plays an important part in the strengthening of South-South cooperation. "Latin America plays an important part in bringing new dynamics to South-South dialogue," he said, after meeting with former Brazilian president Fernando Henrique Cardoso in São Paulo, SE Brazil. The next annual meeting of the Club of Rome, the organization dedicated to discussing great international themes, will take place at the end of the year in Mexico.
"The prince was very impressed with the possibility of dialogue not only between Brazil and the Arab countries, but also with other nations, like India, for example," stated Cardoso to ANBA at the offices of the institute that goes by his name, in the central region of the city of São Paulo. Cardoso is a member of the Club of Rome and was invited by the prince to participate in the meeting to take place in Mexico, and also to take on a position of honour within the institution.
According to the former president, Talal praised Brazil for being a country that believes in multilateralism in the international field and multiculturalism within its own frontiers. "Brazil has enormous riches in these two fields, and the prince placed great emphasis on that," stated Cardoso.
Earlier in the day, Talal, who is Muslim, had an idea of the level of cultural and religious integration in Brazil, when he had breakfast with rabbi Henry Sobel, from the Israeli Congregation of São Paulo, and with sheikh Armando Hussein Saleh, of Brazil Mosque. The prince is a great defender of dialogue between cultures and religions. During the meeting, those participating spoke about the need to export this example of harmonic relations.
Apart from cultural integration, Talal stated that the region offers other examples to the rest of the world, as is the case of the Plata Basin countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay), which has a mechanism for reciprocal enquiries about the use of resources in the region. "They discuss regional security and the use of natural resources," stated Talal.
Another example mentioned was in the area of trade and investment. To the prince, sources of alternative energy, like ethanol, currently produced in Brazil, may be introduced to countries in Africa and Asia. "Energy is an area that may be developed," he said.
Talal believes that the countries of the so-called BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) have conditions to articulate themselves to develop policies aimed at multilateralism and to influence the reform of the United Nations (UN). "It is essential to fight for something," he said, referring to a new world order based on humanitarianism and peace.
New view on development
The prince discussed similar topics with the mayor of São Paulo, José Serra, with whom he met yesterday afternoon. "We exchanged ideas about the Club of Rome and about a new point of view about the third world, and about South-South and South-North relations", stated Serra to ANBA.
According to the mayor, Talal stated that after the toppling of the Berlin Wall, international relations have become more complex, but many problems remain, as is the case in the question of development. According to Serra, the prince wants to help strengthen the Club, which brings together intellectuals and political and business leaders of international renown. "I may be a collaborator," guaranteed the mayor.
*Translated by Mark Ament
