French president Jacques Chirac praises Bolivia's decision to nationalize

BRASILIA, May 25 – French President Jacques Chirac has praised the nationalization of Bolivia’s hydrocarbon reserves, and said that the stance taken by Bolivian President Evo Morales had returned a sense of honor to a long-suffering people.

During a joint press conference, following talks with Brazilian President Luis Inácio Lula da Silva, Chirac affirmed that Morales is completely decided on nationalizing the country’s hydrocarbons, PL reported.

Chirac also praised Lula for the achievements of the Bolsa Familia financial aid program for the needy, and the aid that Brazil has provided to Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.

Likewise, Chirac, who met with Lula at Alvorada Palace, commented that Brazil and Bolivia will find solutions to any situation created by the nationalizations.

For his part, Lula insisted that he believes in the power of words, conversations, and the capacities of dialogue, and that he saw the pro-nationalist actions being taken in the region as part of a rich and intense political moment.

Brazil continues to believe that the integration of South America is a necessity, and that peace is the only way in which countries in the region can become wealthy nations, he added.