Arab, S. American Leaders Seek Trade That Aids Poor

South American and Arab leaders at their first regional summit endorsed a declaration Wednesday condemning the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and calling for global trade liberalization to aid the poor.

Banding together in an event aimed at dampening the dominance of developed countries, the leaders ended the two-day Summit of South American-Arab Countries by staking out positions at odds with U.S. policy on several fronts and committing to closer political and economic ties among their nations.

“For me, this meeting marks the beginning in a new historical moment in our relations,” said Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the host of the summit.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a socialist who has grown increasingly at odds with the United States, joined Washington-backed Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and other leaders in approving a “Declaration of Brasilia” condemning terrorism, denouncing U.S. sanctions against Syria and supporting moves to give developing countries more clout.

The summit brought 9,000 troops to the Brazilian capital in the tightest security seen here in years. Tanks were posted outside the convention center where 15 heads of state and top officials from 34 South American, Middle Eastern and North African nations met.

Pushing a goal he has pursued since becoming Brazil’s first elected leftist leader, Lula urged participants to fight for free-trade rules that would help the developing world instead of benefiting only rich countries and multinational corporations.

Arab states focused on the Israeli-Palestinian issue. The declaration demands that Israel disband Jewish settlements and retreat to its borders before the 1967 Middle East War.

But the summit lost luster with the absence of some of the Arab world’s strongest voices, including the leaders of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Syria.