BRASILIA - Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit discussed Middle East tensions with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva during a visit on Wednesday.
The meeting, which played to Brazil's ambition of having a role in helping negotiate peace in the Middle East, took place a week after Lula talked over the same issues with visiting extremist Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman.
Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim, who also took part in the discussions, reiterated the view that peace in the Middle East could only be achieved through the creation of an "economically viable" Palestinian state that was not broken up by Israeli control lines.
He also lent Brazil's voice to the international community's consensus that Israel should immediately cease expanding settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Abul Gheit hailed Brazil's stance, saying: "Brazil can play a role (in the Middle East peace negotiations) because it has political as well as economic potential."
Brazil plans to extend its Middle East mediating position by receiving Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the next few weeks, followed by Israeli President Shimon Peres in November.
Latin America's biggest economy is seeking the extra clout as part of its longterm ambition to one day join the UN Security Council as a permanent member.
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