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