BRASÍLIA: Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Monday asked US President Donald Trump to limit the activities of his “Board of Peace” to Gaza.
The request was made in a phone call in which the leaders agreed to meet in Washington, according to the Brazilian presidency.
Lula, who was invited to join Trump’s controversial global conflict resolution organization, proposed that it “be limited to the issue of Gaza and include a seat for Palestine.”
Lula also urged the “comprehensive reform of the United Nations, including the expansion of the permanent members of the Security Council.”
On Friday, Lula, 80, accused Trump, 79, of trying to create “a new UN where only he is the owner,” with his proposed “Board of Peace”.
Although originally intended to oversee Gaza’s rebuilding, the board’s charter does not seem to limit its role to the Palestinian territory and appears to want to rival the United Nations.
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Traditional US allies including France and Britain have also expressed doubts.
Lula and Trump have been in contact several times since their first official meeting in October ushered in improved ties after months of animosity between Washington and Brasilia.
As a result, Trump’s administration has exempted key Brazilian exports from 40 percent tariffs that had been imposed on Brazil, and lifted sanctions on a top Brazilian judge.
Lula and Trump also discussed the situation in Venezuela, with the Brazilian leader calling for “peace and stability in the region.”
Earlier this month, Lula said the US attack on Venezuela to oust president Nicolas Maduro crossed “an unacceptable line”.
In a 50 minute call, “the two presidents agreed on a visit by President Lula to Washington.”
The presidency said the visit would take place after Lula’s trips to India and South Korea in February, and that a date would be set “soon”.
The veteran leftist Lula has held phonecalls in recent days with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
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