Rio de Janeiro – The Brazilian minister of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, Fernando Pimentel, said this Friday (5th) that Brazil is one of the best prepared countries to face the world economic crisis. According to him, however, the country needs more caution when addressing the situation.
“The minister Guido [Mantega, of Finance] put it very well. It is not that we have nothing to fear. We are prepared. I think Brazil is one of the best prepared countries in the world to face the crisis. Now, a crisis is a crisis. We must be cautious,” said Pimentel.
This Friday (5th) in Rio de Janeiro, the minister attended the 1st Local Content Forum, which addressed national content in the oil industry. In his address, Pimentel stated that the ongoing crisis is making it clear that a geoeconomic axis is shifting from the Northern countries to the emerging nations.
According to Pimentel, Brazil is perfectly able to take on a relevant role in this new world configuration, because it has an inner consumer market, natural resources and institutional safety, because it is a democracy.
At the end of the event, Pimentel also commented on the change in command of the Ministry of Defence, as Nelson Jobim exited and former foreign minister Celso Amorim took office. “Minister Celso Amorim is utterly skilled and competent, he has been tried and tested in Brazilian public life. He is highly respectable. I regret the fact that Jobim has left, he is very competent as well.”
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
