Mr. President, distinguished guests, thank you, Mr. President, for your kind words. I believe they convey appreciation for my country and underline the traditional friendship between our peoples. As a Latin American nation, Brazil has, during the 500 years of its history, helped to build the West. Through the centuries, our contribution has varied, but we have never spared sacrifices, including human lives. Our dialog, Mr. President, has taken place within this broad context.
Brazil is also a developing country.
Thus, we share the problems, goals, and aspirations of those states, which today account for most of mankind. This consideration was equally present during our conversations. This is a moment of deterioration of the international political life and of economic crises. My government believes it essential that the West, in which your country plays such a vital role, deploy its best possible efforts to reinforce its ties of mutual trust with the developing world. I am convinced that the industrialized West should avoid both the temptations of isolationism and of adopting measures geared to its unilateral interests alone.