Brazilian deputies meet Ramallah Abbas

January 13, 2005

A delegation of Brazilian deputies and senators met the new president of the Palestine Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, known as Abu Mazen, on Monday, January 10. Abbas recognized the preferential treatment offered by Brazil to the Palestinians and promised reciprocity. Carlos Abicalil (PT), member of the delegation, said that the decision of the Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to establish, in July 2004, an office of representation in Ramallah contributed to the closening of relations between the governments of Brazil and the Palestinian.

He praised the choice of Abbas, remembering that the election of the parliament, in July, can be a still more decisive step: "From the point of view of the major political representation of the parliament, there is still an incognito, since diverse political positions which didn't participate in the presidential election, with proper candidates, as is the case with Hamas - who have an armed and very organized arm - will participate in the legislative elections. Evidently, in the composition of the parliament, there will be more or less radical positions around the situation of Gaza and Jerusalem ".