Conservative Bush, Brazil's populist Lula meet

Fri June 20, 2003 01:19 PM ET By Randall Mikkelsen

WASHINGTON, June 20 (<a href=reuters.com>Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva were expected to focus in meetings Friday on trade, regional hot spots and Lula's ambitions to help the poor.

One surprise has been warming relations between the Brazilian president, a former labor leader, and Bush, a conservative former businessman. Brazil has recently clashed with the United States over trade and the war in Iraq.

But the two countries were expected to announce joint initiatives including U.S. support for Lula's anti-hunger program in Brazil, cooperation on energy and poverty relief measures for Africa.

"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," Bush said as he welcomed Lula.

The two leaders took no questions in what was their third meeting.

"This is a novelty, it's not just 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," Lula said.

"Without any question, I believe that we can surprise the world in terms of the relationship between Brazil and the United States," he said.

Lula brought 10 ministers with him. For the United States, Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman, Special Trade Representative Robert Zoellick, and Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham were expected to take part in the expanded meeting, a U.S. official said.

Brazil and the United States have clashed over trade in the past, particularly subsidies and tariff barriers slapped on key Brazilian exports like orange juice, textiles and steel.

Lula strongly opposed the Iraq invasion. In their public remarks, Iraq was not mentioned.

Brazil and the United States also co-chair the Free Trade Area of the Americas talks to create a hemisphere-wide free trade zone by January 2005. The FTAA is central to Bush's policy of promoting trade and democracy in Latin America.

Most of the region suffered a recession in 2002, with Venezuela and Argentina hard hit by sharp recessions and bouts of political upheaval.