MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

India, South Africa, Brazil political block

India, South Africa and Brazil will back each others claim for permanent seats in the United Nations Security Council said Brazilian president Luis Inacio Lula da Silva on ending his four day state visit to India.

The three have already agreed to work together to counter trade policies of the rich countries, an idea that harvested its first success last September during the Cancún World Trade Organization frustrated negotiations when they strongly demanded the reduction of US and EU farm subsidies.

Next March officials from the three countries will be meeting in New Delhi to advance in the India-Brazil-South Africa dialogue forum.

President Lula da Silva also forecasted that the XXI century belongs to India, Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa, countries which will contribute to "re-write the economic and trade geography of the world".

"United States and the European Union will eventually have to recognize our great unity and power", as was shown in the recent Cancún negotiations said Mr. Lula da Silva.

"We must commit ourselves to a globalization that is sensitive to social and environmental concerns, whatever is more fair both politically and economically", insisted the Brazilian president arguing that too many developing countries are treated as second class citizens by the main trading blocks.

India and Brazil don't want a reduction of trade with the US or EU, "but these two important trade blocks have forced us to fight for the exclusion of new issues and obstacles from the multilateral trade agenda".

Brazilian president Lula da Silva was the guest of honour of India's Independence Day great military parade. He was also witness to the signing of a historic agreement between India and Mercosur.