Brazil's parliamentary leader stresses role in nat'l development

SEOUL, May 18 (Yonhap) -- Legislative bodies should play a pivotal role in boosting national competitiveness as seen in the case of Brazil, which has emerged as the world's seventh-largest economy backed by parliamentary support, its lower house chief said Wednesday. Marco Maia, the head of the Chamber of Deputies, is in South Korea to attend the G-20 Speakers' Consultation, which kicks off later Wednesday and runs through Friday. South Korea's National Assembly Speaker Park Hee-tae will host the conference that brings together parliamentary leaders and representatives from 26 nations and groups, including five non-G-20 members and Inter-Parliamentary Union members. "The economic, societal and political sectors need tools offered by us (the Congress) to pursue sustainable growth. That is our role," Maia said in an interview with Yonhap News. "The legislative body should provide a variety of tools needed to change Brazil." A member of the emerging BRICs, Brazil is one of the fastest-growing major economies in the world with an average annual GDP growth rate of over 5 percent. Its economy is the world's seventh-largest, leading Latin American nations. The other BRICs include Russia, India and China. The 45-year-old congressman says his early political career as a union leader helped him to weather political hardship. He is a member of President Dilma Rousseff's Workers' Party and is currently in his third consecutive term as a federal lawmaker. "I faced many challenges while working as a steel mill's union leader" in Rio Grande do Sul, said Maia, who was elected in February to head the lower house for the next two years. "Although I am still young, I have seen various realities and difficulties at different social classes. I think these experiences have helped me to lead the lower house of Congress." South Korea is currently seeking to launch bilateral trade agreements with the South American bloc MERCOSUR. The bloc, comprised of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, has a total population of some 260 million, and its economic size is estimated at US$2.89 trillion. With so much growth potential, Brazil needs a stable economic partnership with other nations, and such efforts should be supported by "political determination," Maia said. "As long as conditions are mutually beneficial to both sides, I welcome expanding trade with Asian nations. It is very critical to find a new trade partner adjusting to reality when turning our sights to the future," Maia said. He also encouraged Korean companies to invest more in agricultural equipment through close cooperation with Brazilian companies. "As Brazil has much potential to grow, we need a partner that can consistently be with us," he said. "The role of Congress is making an environment in which Korean companies can actively do business." In regard to the ongoing bid for the high-speed rail project in Brazil, Maia positively evaluated a consortium led by South Korea's Hyundai Heavy Industries to build a 511-kilometer train network between Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. It is a key project estimated at some US$20 billion aimed at building infrastructure ahead of Brazil's hosting of the 2014 World Cup finals and the 2016 Olympics. "I expect South Korea could make a distinctive offer, considering the experience and relations with Brazil," Maia said. The auction is set for July.