Former Minister Celso Amorim Defends Active Diplomacy at Special Event at UniRitter

Celso Amorim, former Brazilian minister of defense and former minister of international relations, participated in an event to mark the beginning of the international relations program at Centro Universitário Ritter dos Reis (UniRitter). During the event, Amorim talked about his recent book, “Teerã, Ramalá e Doha: memórias da política externa ativa e altiva” (“Tehran, Ramallah and Doha: Memories of Active and Proud Foreign Policy”). One of the main topics of the book highlighted the work done in the last several years to increase connections between Brazil and the Middle East.

According to Amorim, 2005 was a very important year for Brazil internationally and was marked by an increase in its global role. “Beyond defending our own interests, we began to play a role in matters of global interest,” he said.

One highlight he mentioned was Brazil’s invitation to participate in the Annapolis Conference in the United States, where Brazil was one of only a few developing countries invited. He also shared a number of personal and professional experiences from his long career in public service.

Amorim told the gathered students that he prepared himself carefully for each diplomatic situation he faced. “In some instances I had to do a lot of studying so I would be fully prepared. I had to think ahead to the things that could potentially happen and how we would respond,” he confirmed.

He also congratulated UniRitter on the development of its international relations degree program. “Programs in international relations are now offered throughout Brazil, which I see as proof of the demand for people with international expertise.”