Brazil insists on dialogue with Iran on nuclear issue
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Brazil still insists on negotiating with Iran over its controversial nuclear program, said Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim on Wednesday.
"We believe it is necessary to be sure that all possibilities of negotiation have been tried," Amorim said after meeting visiting U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Both Brazil and the United States have the same objective to eliminate nuclear weapons, he said.
Clinton earlier called on Brazil's congressmen to take action to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, "since Brazil has built a good relationship with the country and can help change the course of action that they are following."
"We see no real effort by the Iranians to answer the call of the international community. We always want to negotiate, and President Barack Obama offered his hand, but it should be taken. I think only after they are applied sanctions, Iran will negotiate in good faith," said Clinton.
A political analyst has said Brazil's stance may have to change given Iran's activities.
"Brazil has a point insisting that dialogue is better than sanction to obtain changes on politics," David Fleischer, a political science professor at Brasilia University, told Xinhua.
"However, it is getting difficult to maintain this opinion, since enriching uranium to 20 percent is not for peaceful purposes. Anyone knows that," said Fleischer.
During Clinton's visit, the two sides also expressed their readiness to start negotiations next week to find a commercial solution to the conflict caused by U.S. subsidies to its cotton farmers, and avoid the application of retaliation by Brazil, approved by the World Trade Organization.
Brazil and the United States also signed memorandums of understanding on aid to third countries and the advancement of women's rights.
