Jag har tidigare behandlat vår utskottsresa till Brasilien. Nu så är det så att vi via ambassaden i Brasilia fått en artikel efter vårt besök översatt till engelska. Jag bifogar översättningen nedan. Behöver jag säga att jag satt bredvid reportern på ambassadmiddagen ....

Comment by Fernando Rodriguez in “Folha de Sao
Paulo” (One of Brazil’s major newpapers) on 31 March 2012

What  does Brazil really
want?

BRASÍLIA – Due to my job, I attend receptions organized by foreign authorities
here in Brasília. On one of these occasions, recently, there were Swedish
deputies. One of them, supported by the others, asked me: "what doesBrazil really want?".

I did not understand. The Swede explained that he wanted to know  the “goal of Brazil in the global scenario”.
He said that he is aware of the potential of the country and about the current growth
phase. “But it is not clear to me why Sweden
should support Brazil
at the international level”.

And he continued: "Brazil
wants to be part of the UN Security Council, but what for?” I see Brazil as
country that wants to be everybody’s friend internationally. When you are  everybody’s friend, you have neither the
respect nor the necessary support ".

A woman, also a Swedish deputy, wanted to know why Brazilinsists on not condemning
countries that do not defend human rights.  She mentioned Cuba. The Swedes, as well known,
are not what we would call conservatives. So, the criticism had no ideological bias.

Swedish Parliamentarians visited ministries in Brasília. One of them
reported: "I asked all of them what the objective of the Brazilian foreign
policy is. The maximum I could hear is that the foreign policy of Brazil aims to
guarantee the growth of the country. This is a domestic objective. It is difficult to get the support
of other countries only for one’s own benefit".

I’ve
remembered this conversation because of the visit of President Dilma Rousseff to
India.
The focus of the President in the international scenario has been almost 100% about
the growth of the country. It is not bad. But it is little if one wants to be a
worldwide protagonist. To finish, one of the Swedes concluded without pity: “Brazil has to
choose. Does it want to be only a country or a nation? A nation puts its soul
in its foreign policy. I have not understood yet what is the soul of the
Brazilian foreign policy”.

Ulrik Nilsson (M)

Riksdagsledamot