The Committe on External Relations and National Defense(CRE) approved, on Thursday (30), a favorable report to the nominations of new Brazilian ambassadors to Colombia, Austria and Catar. The three presidential messages, approved by the unanimity of the 16 present senators in the meeting, will be submitted to the Plenary.

First class minister Valdemar Carneiro Leão Neto, nominated Brazilian ambassador to Colombia, praised the economic performance of the neighboring country, whose economic growth has been oscillating between 5% and 6% a year, along the last three years. The Brazilian exports increased 200% in the same period, as remembered the ambassador, reaching US$ 2.1 billion in 2006 - against imports of just US$ 248 million. Besides, great Brazilian investments have been made in Colombia, especially in aviation and metallurgy.

The largest challenges of the neighboring country, observed Carneiro Leão, are in the political area. Guerrilla and drug trafficking still make "complex", in his opinion, the political scene of Colombia. The message of the nomination of Leão (128/07) had as rappoteur senator Jarbas Vasconcelos (PMDB-PE).

The current unbalance of the trade between Brazil and Austria was emphasized by first class minister Julio Cesar Zelner Gonçalves, nominated as ambassador to Vienna. Brazilian exports in 2006 were limited to US$ 143.8 million, especially of tobacco and ores, against imports of US$ 466.8 million, with emphasis to chemical products.

Gonçalves said that, although Austria maintains its "neutrality activism" policy, this country has been joining international missions and disapproved the invasion of Iraq by the United States. Senator Marco Maciel (DEM-PE) was the rappoteur of the presidential (117/07) message with his nomination.

Second-class minister Ánuar Nahes classified Catar as an "excellent post of political observation". He said that it is a country open to the world, with a "daring" foreign policy and very rich, because of great reservoirs of natural gas.

Still in 2007, according to Nahes, a free trade agreement between Mercosul and the Gulf Cooperation Council – that includes, besides Catar, Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuweit – may be signed. The message with his nomination (118/07) had senator João Tenório (PSDB-AL) as rapporteur.

The meeting was presided by senators Eduardo Azeredo (PSDB-MG) and Heráclito Fortes (DEM-PI).