Palestinian National Authority Hosts a Two Day Visit by Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim
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| Minister of Foreign Affairs, Celso
Amorim and President of Brazil, Lula da Silva |
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BPNIC Briefing, February 2008
For two days, the Brazilian government of President Lula, is
sending Foreign Minister Celso Amorim to the occupied
Palestinian city of Ramallah. Several sessions will be held
from February 12th - 13th which will include Mr. Amorim,
President Abbas, and several Palestinian and Brazilian
congressional staffers and policy professionals.
Minister Celso Amorim, following several discussions which
already took place amongst Brazilian parliament leaders,
will discuss ways to provide Palestinians with more
opportunities for economic development while providing
Israelis with security for their nation.
During the International Donors’ Conference for Palestine in
Paris, on December 17 2007, the delegation of Brazil, led by
the Undersecretary-General for Commercial Cooperation and
Promotion, Ambassador Ruy Nunes Pinto Nogueira, announced a
contribution of US$3 million (R$ 5.4 million) in the next
three years, to the Palestinian government’s economic
reforms program. In addition, Brazil together with its
partners of the Forum of Dialogue India-Brazil-South Africa
(IBAS), announced a contribution from the IBAS Fund,
totaling US$ 1 million (R$ 1.8 million), to be made for
projects aimed at capacity building and rehabilitation of
infrastructure, in occupied Palestinian cities.
Brazil also participated in the Stockholm Donors` Conference
of September 2006 and announced a contribution of US$ 500
thousand (R$ 903.8 thousand) for humanitarian projects in
occupied Palestinian cities.
The Brazilian Administration made a public statement on
January 15 2008 indicating with great concern the
January-Israeli invasion of Gaza which resulted in the death
of at least 18 people. Brazil, abiding by its commitment to
the Palestinian people, is dispatching Mr. Amorim to
Ramallah, to continue with strong efforts to indicate to
world leaders that the Palestinian-Israeli conflict
represents an important unsolved Question to the Brazilian
people as well as the rest of the world. Brazil continues to
express its uneasiness with unilateral initiatives the
Israeli government has been taking in Gaza, as well as the
occupied cities of the West Bank, and especially in East
Jerusalem, where there is heavy building of internationally
condemned and illegal Israeli housing on Palestinian
inhibited areas.
The Brazilian Palestinian National Interest Committee has
already started promoting among the Brazilian society,
asking that concrete measure are taken to secure a nation
for Palestinians. With the support of its members, the
Committee continues to promote Brazil as key for
Palestinian-Israeli peace, and promote Brazil's interests in
the Middle East by urging its members to maintain contact
with Members of Congress, to support important initiatives
that would lead to the creation of a Palestinian State. |
