Brazilian President Lula impressed by 5,000-year-old culture and history
5 June 2007
New Delhi — Visiting Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva yesterday received the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding 2006 from Indian President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam for his contribution to "strengthening relations" among developing nations.
Accepting the award, Lula — here on a three-day visit — dedicated it to "all who want a peaceful world" and described Nehru as "a source of inspiration for people who were struggling for independence and laid the groundwork for an egalitarian nation."
The award, given by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) since 1965, a year after the death of India’s first prime minister, was described by the Brazilian leader as "an honor" for him since it placed him on same pedestal as "towering personalities" like Martin Luther King Jr, Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela and Indira Gandhi who were previous recipients of the award.
Lula was impressed with his visit to Old Delhi where he saw a mosque, temple and a gurdwara in "close proximity" that demonstrated the "richness of India's 5,000 year old culture and history". The Brazilian leader said: "India with its different cultures, languages and religions truly fascinates the world." Lula, who is here on a three-day official visit, said these achievements are what Brazil too was striving for where "we are building a multi-cultural society".
Earlier, Prime Minister Dr Singh and Lula held talks on a wide spectrum of bilateral, regional and global issues including quadrupling their bilateral trade to $10 billion by 2010, civilian nuclear energy cooperation, promotion of bio-fuels, UN reforms and cooperation in multilateral forums like the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
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