Cooperative Leading Powers
BERLIN/BRASILIA/RESENDE Berlin is considering closer cooperation with the Brazilian military and armaments elites. The Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP - German Institute for International and Security Affairs) refers to ,,Brazil's rise from a discrete regional to a cooperative leading power". The Friedrich Ebert Foundation, closely associated with the SPD, debates over the South American State as ,,a player and troublemaker in international politics". In the meantime, Brasilia advances a nuclear program, developed with German assistance, and arouses suspicions of intentions to produce nuclear arms.
Brazil is not only a ,,South American regional power", it also develops more and more into a ,,spokesman for the fast developing nations,"according to Berlin's SWP. ,,Under President Lula, Brazil once again, became aware of its size and its enormous economic potential,"according to the foreign policy think tank, which refers to the leadership role taken on by Brasilia at the WTO Conference of Ministers at Cancun last Fall. At that time, Brazil, together with India and China, led a group of over 20 states which resisted the agrarian policies of the United States of America and, particularly, of the European Union. 1)
Common Defense Policy?
Evidently Berlin looks to utilize Brasilia's more offensive foreign policy for its own ambitions for world power. According to the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, which is considering increased military cooperation of the two nations, ,,Germany and Brazil have the largest populations and are economically the strongest countries in their regions." ,,A common agenda regarding crisis prevention and international defense"is the subject of a ,,public debate"between Gernot Erler, SPD's foreign policy representative, and Luiz Dulci, secretary general of the Brazilian presidential office, which will be conducted by the foundation in Berlin in May.
Nuclear Program...
In the meantime, Brasilia advances a uranium enrichment program and arouses suspicions of planning to produce nuclear arms. Announcements to that effect had been made, last year by the recently dismissed minister of technology, Roberto Amaral. Critics warn that the country's armed forces, supposedly, are developing a nuclear program on their own, which is not under control of the Brazilian parliament. During the military dictatorships (1964-85), the Brazilian military had attempted to come into the possession of nuclear arms.
... with German technology
At that time and with German assistance, the military successfully created the essential prerequisites for atom bombs. In 1975, the social-liberal Bonn government concluded the German-Brazilian nuclear treaty with Brasilia which, in fierce competition with US corporations which normally consider Brazil as part of their immediate sphere of influence, gave the contract to the German Siemens-KWU to build the nuclear power plant Angra II. Shortly afterwards, and with German assistance, Brazil succeeded in enriching uranium. Fernando Gabeira, member of the Brazilian parliament, ,,does not preclude"that German technology is also utilized during the current attempts to enrich uranium in Resende, near Rio de Janeiro. 2)
1) See also earlier article ,,Augean Stables"
2) Klaus Hart: Antioekologische Tauschangebote. Lula-Regierung will Siemens-AKW Angra III fertig stellen; ila. Zeitschrift der Informationsstelle Lateinamerika, Februar 2004
See also earlier article Berlin: EU must assert itself against the USA in Latin America
Sources:
Die Aussenpolitik der Regierung Lula. Brasiliens Aufstieg von einer diskreten Regional- zu einer kooperativen Fuehrungsmacht; SWP-Studie Maerz 2004
Brasilien und die friedliche Urananreicherung; www.heise.de/tp
