Current Brazilian foreign policy has an “ideological bias”, in senator Fernando Collor de Mello’s opinion, and it takes the country to the loss of important spaces in international scenery. The senator by the state of Alagoas was born in Rio de Janeiro and has already gone through almost all the elective posts of the country: he was mayor of Maceió, federal deputy, governor of Alagoas, president of the Republic and, now, he achieved the mandate of senator.

In interview to Agência Senado, Collor defended also the accomplishment of a new worldwide conference about the environment in Brazil in 2012, when the 20th anniversary of Rio 92 conference will be celebrated.

How do you see the current Brazilian foreign policy?

We have today three persons commanding the foreign policy. Two in a formal way, the minister [Celso Amorim] and the secretary general [Samuel Pinheiro Guimarães], and a third in an informal way, who speaks in the name of the president of the Republic, and is received by heads of state and government with more consideration than the minister of External Relations himself - I refer to the Marco Aurélio Garcia. It causes strangeness. Because of these facts, I have different approaches on how to conduct the foreign policy: we had Bolivia’s episode about the question of gas; the government of Venezuela admonishes Brazil without necessity; there is the problem of Colombia that, with well-done actions, thrusts to our wet borders the guerrilla fighters of FARC; Ecuador elected president already claims part of Amazon territory; there is the question of Brazilians in fecund lands of Bolivia that might be removed from where they are by a project of agrarian reform which, otherwise, will receive twenty millions reais. In relation to Paraguay, an ex- priest, who has been obtaining important rates in his candidature, makes an offensive speech, saying that Itaipu is theirs and denounces the supposed imperialist character of Brazil. These problems worry us, because Brazilian foreign policy has been turned reactive, it does not draw external sceneries such as, for example, what could occur with the election of a democratic president in United States.

Is there an ideological bias in this foreign policy?

There is, with no doubt, a mistaken ideological bias that is taking our foreign policy to lose important spaces. Another mistake is the insane fight by Itamaraty to reach a permanent seat at the Security Council. It is a dream, the five countries that have the control of the council will not allow that this situation, that gives to them the power of veto, could be changed. Besides, I think that Brazil should give more attention to bilateral agreements. Look at the failure of Doha Round: Brazil got closer to India and China. But India broke the Brazilian strategy. Indians noted that to their economy bilateral agreements were more profitable.

You are defending a new environmental world conference in 2012 in Brazil. Is it viable?

In an audience with president Lula, I suggested that Brazilian government should focus on the problem of global warming, also inserting with frequency this theme in his formal speeches. The government cannot forget its responsibilities, after all Brazil is today the fourth largest emitter of CO2 in atmosphere - 200 millions of tons produced in the Amazon and the rest in other regions. I reminded that it might be interesting if Brazil could take the lead, be the vanguard as in the Rio 92, to promote a reduced meeting. That is why I proposed the Rio + 20 conference. Besides, in 2012 we shall celebrate the 20th anniversary of Rio 92 and the Protocol of Kyoto will expire.