Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) has arrived in Brazil this Wednesday night. He already had dinner with Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and starting today should be received by several authorities.
According to information disclosed by the ambassador of Palestine to Brasília, Ibrahim Alzeben, president Abbas will speak, during his meetings, about bilateral relations and the Brazilian support to the Palestinian cause.
Abbas should be in Salvador, Bahia, on Thursday and Friday, and in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, on Saturday and Sunday. In Bahia, the president of Palestine should meet with president Lula and with Foreign Minister Celso Amorim and should sign a cooperation agreement.
According to Alzeben, the agreement should cover several areas, from agriculture to sports. In Bahia, Abbas should also meet with governor Jacques Wagner and with the Palestinian community.
Brazil is aiming to play a more active part in the peace process between Israel and Palestine and the PNA hope for the emerging nations to participate in negotiations. Last week, the president of Israel, Shimon Perez, met Lula in Brazilian capital Brasília. To the Palestinian Foreign Minister, Riad Malki, this shows the importance that both parties in the conflict grant to Brazil.
