Brazil's Lula orders creation of sovereign fund

BRASILIA, May 23 (Reuters) - Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has ordered the creation of a sovereign wealth fund, but the government is still working out details, Finance Minister Guido Mantega said on Friday.

Mantega said the fund is in the final conceptual stages and the ministry will send a proposal to the presidential palace next week.

"President Lula determined that we launch the sovereign fund. The bill is practically finished and there are only some legal aspects pending," Mantega told reporters outside the finance ministry.

(Reporting by Ana Nicolaci da Costa, Writing by Elzio Barreto, Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)