Remarks Prior to Discussions With President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil

President Bush. It's my honor to welcome the President of our friend Brazil to the Oval Office. This is the third meeting I will have had with the President. It shows how important our relationship is. Brazil is an incredibly important part of a peaceful and prosperous North and South America. I can say that from the perspective of the United States, this relationship is a vital and important and growing relationship.

On a personal perspective, I'm very impressed by the vision of the President of Brazil. He's a man who clearly has deep concerns for all the people of Brazil. He not only has a tremendous heart, but he's got the abilities to work closely with his Government and the people of Brazil to encourage prosperity and to end hunger. And today the people of both our countries will see a series of initiatives on a variety of fronts, which indicate that this relationship is a mature relationship and an important relationship.

And Mr. President, I'm honored you're here with us today. Welcome. Thank you, sir.

President Lula da Silva. I think that it's very important in our third meeting that we should make it clear to the public opinion—to Brazilian and American public opinion—about the relationship between Brazil and the United States. It is a very strong relationship; it has been in existence for a long period. I always believe that it is possible to even improve more these relationships. Since the last time I was here, on December the 10th of last year, still as President-elect, I went back to Brazil with a certainty that Brazil and the United States do have the possibility—can have the most profitable relationship with the United States. And this relationship between Brazil and the United States should be on the basis of sincerity between people, on the reliability that the leadership must have, and not just build up a spectacle for the press and for the public.

I learned during my past life to—I learned how to deal with people on the basis of trust. And I believe that Brazil is and can continue to be a good partner of the United States. We have many things in common. And certainly, this meeting that we are accomplishing today, this is a novelty. It's not a summit meeting with two Presidents, but it's a meeting that has Cabinet members of both Governments, so that from this meeting onwards, our ministers can continue to work together independently of the two Presidents. And without any question, I believe that we can surprise the world in terms of the relationship of Brazil and the United States.

And I hope that soon we will have a meeting in Brazil so that President Bush can personally see the dimensions and size of our country, that Brazil is not just Carnival and it's not only soccer. We have other marvelous things in the country.

President Bush. Thank you, sir. Thank you all for coming. Thank you.