Agência Brasil
Brasília – Yesterday president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and the president of the United States, George W. Bush, talked on the telephone for 15 minutes. Bush wanted the conversation in order to compliment Lula on his first year in office and successes domestically and on the international scene.
Lula told Bush that the capture of Saddam Hussein was an important fact that could contribute to a new phase in the transition to democracy in Iraq.
The two presidents discussed the situation in Latin America, the Mideast and bilateral trade relations. There was agreement on the need to strengthen democracy in Latin America, the peace process in the Middle East and, in spite of differences of opinion on trade, move ahead with negotiations.
Lula and Bush will meet at the Americas Summit scheduled for Monterrey, Mexico, on January 12 and 13.
