Brazil minister in 'Nazi' spat on eve of WTO talks
The US and Brazil were engaged in a diplomatic spat today on the eve of key trade talks, after a Brazilian minister compared rich countries' attitude to that of Nazi propaganda chief Joseph Goebbels.
By Agencies |
GENEVA: The US and Brazil were engaged in a diplomatic spat today on the eve of key trade talks, after a Brazilian minister compared rich countries' attitude to that of Nazi propaganda chief Joseph Goebbels.
In a news conference yesterday Celso Amorim, Brazil's foreign minister, commented on claims from the industrialised countries that they were offering concessions on agricultural tariffs.
He said he was reminded of Goebbels' declaration that "If a lie is repeated enough times, it becomes the truth." That remark sparked an immediate response from the US Trade Representative Susan Schwab, herself the daughter of Holocaust survivors.
"At a time when we try to find a successful outcome to the negotiations, this kind of statement is highly unfortunate," her spokesman Sean Spicer said. "For someone who is a foreign affairs minister, he should be aware of some sensitivities," he added.
Both Amorim and Schwab are due to attend a dinner organised by World Trade Organisation Director-General Pascal Lamy this evening, before head-to-head negotiations tomorrow. According to his press office, Amorim had "no intention of apologising" at this meeting.
His intention had been "to show that propaganda can be superimposed on historical facts," and not make comparisons between individuals.
Amorim's original accusation -- overshadowed by the row -- was that richer nations at the Geneva talks were implying that all 152 member nations had accepted their proposals on agriculture.
In a news conference yesterday Celso Amorim, Brazil's foreign minister, commented on claims from the industrialised countries that they were offering concessions on agricultural tariffs.
He said he was reminded of Goebbels' declaration that "If a lie is repeated enough times, it becomes the truth." That remark sparked an immediate response from the US Trade Representative Susan Schwab, herself the daughter of Holocaust survivors.
"At a time when we try to find a successful outcome to the negotiations, this kind of statement is highly unfortunate," her spokesman Sean Spicer said. "For someone who is a foreign affairs minister, he should be aware of some sensitivities," he added.
Both Amorim and Schwab are due to attend a dinner organised by World Trade Organisation Director-General Pascal Lamy this evening, before head-to-head negotiations tomorrow. According to his press office, Amorim had "no intention of apologising" at this meeting.
His intention had been "to show that propaganda can be superimposed on historical facts," and not make comparisons between individuals.
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Amorim's original accusation -- overshadowed by the row -- was that richer nations at the Geneva talks were implying that all 152 member nations had accepted their proposals on agriculture.
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