Incoming Brazilian President Wants Closer Ties With US

Brazilian President-elect Dilma Rousseff, who will be the country's first female president, says she wants closer ties with the United States.

Rousseff told the Washington Post newspaper, in an article published Sunday, that the U.S. and Brazil together have an important role to play in the world.

She said she has not yet accepted any invitations to visit other countries because she is setting up her administration before taking office January 1. But she said she would like to visit U.S. President Barack Obama "in the very first days" of her administration.

Rousseff also said she does not favor the latest U.S. monetary policy known as "quantitative easing," meant to stimulate the economy. She said a systematic devaluation of the dollar can prompt reactions of protectionism.

Rousseff, who was backed by incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has said she will adhere to the previous administration's policies in many regards. But she said Sunday that she does not agree with Brazil's decision not to back a U.N. General Assembly resolution condemning Iran for human rights violations.

A former political prisoner, Rousseff said she would not feel comfortable not speaking out against such issues as Iran's policy of stoning women.