Brazil's new President Dilma Rousseff began a busy first full day in office Sunday meeting with foreign dignitaries after pledging to build on the policies of her hugely popular predecessor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The 63-year-old Rousseff, who was Lula's former cabinet chief, assumed the presidency Saturday in a carefully staged ceremony in Brazil's starkly modernist federal capital. Sunday, she met with South Korean Prime Minister Kim Hwang-Sik, Spain's crown Prince Felipe, Uruguayan President Jose Mujica, Cuban Vice President Jose Ramon Machado and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas. Later, she was to confer with her Finance Minister Guido Mantega and new Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota. Rousseff has pledged a strong emphasis on emerging countries like Brazil, one of the so-called BRICS emerging powers (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa). And she also wants to improve ties with the United States, and most likely will take a more critical stand with Iran, analysts say. Lula irked the United States with his friendly embrace of Tehran. During Saturday's inauguration ceremony, Rousseff received from Lula the green-and-gold official sash and gave her first speech to the nation. "I will look after the most vulnerable. I will govern for all Brazilians," she said in the televised address from the palace's balcony.
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