MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uribe most probably will have Lula da Silva at his table in next Friday’s banquet

Lula da Silva: “I have and extraordinary relation with Uribe”

The Brazilian Executive spokesman Marcelo Baumbach said on Saturday that President Lula da Silva had a long conversation on the phone with Colombian president-elect Juan Manuel Santos and they talked about the diplomatic crisis with Venezuela.

“The president spoke with president-elect Santos. The long conversation was considered by President Lula da Silva as very positive and helped to prepare an ambiance of distension for the situation”, said Baumbach.

The spokesman said that Lula da Silva considers Colombian President Alvaro Uribe’s criticism episode as ‘over’. “President Lula da Silva said the episode belongs to the past. He has not made comments nor will he comment those statements”.

Last week the Colombian cabinet of President Uribe released a statement criticizing President Lula da Silva’s comments regarding the conflict with Venezuela.

“We deplore that Lula da Silva, with whom we have the best of relations, has referred to the crisis as ‘something personal’ (between Uribe and Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez) and ignores the threat that represents the presence of (1.500) FARC guerrillas stationed in Venezuelan territory”.

Speaking from Paraguay on Friday Lula da Silva said he was hopeful he could meet with his peer Alvaro Uribe, in spite of the incident in which he ‘deplored’ the Brazilian leader’s comments.

“I hope Uribe invites me to his table” at the banquet he will be offering on Friday 6, a day before the Colombian president steps down and president-elect Santos is sworn in.

Lula da Silva spoke about his coming international agenda following the meeting with Paraguayan president Fernando Lugo.

Last Wednesday, Lula da Silva said the latest row between presidents Uribe and Chavez was part of the ongoing “verbal conflict”. But the following day the Colombian cabinet in a release “deplored” the Brazilian president’s description of the situation.

On Friday Lula da Silva defused the exchange saying “I’m a friend of Uribe, I have an eight year relation with him, which is extraordinary”.
“I hope to have a relation (as good) in the coming months with president Santos”, added Lula da Silva.