Asia-Pacific

Lula: All nuclear weapons should be eliminated

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-12-04 11:26

RIO DE JANEIRO: Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Thursday that the countries which criticize Iran's nuclear program should get rid of their own nuclear weapons as well, according to news reaching here from Berlin.

In order to have the moral authority to criticize Iran, "It is important that those which have a (nuclear) arsenal let go of it, so that we will not have any more arguments," he said during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who had said that negotiations with Iran were not progressing.

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Lula, who is in Berlin on an official visit to Germany, called for patience in the negotiations.

"I think ... increasing the pressure every day will not lead to good results," he said. "We need more patience to increase the level of conversations with Iran."

Lula also reminded that, though the Brazilian Constitution forbids the use of nuclear weapons, the country has a program of uranium enrichment for energy production, and considers that Iran has the right to have a similar program.
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