São Paulo – The end of hostilities in the Middle East and the support that Brazil has provided to Lebanon and Palestine were some of the topics discussed during the meeting of the Council of Arab Ambassadors in Brasília with Brazil’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mauro Vieira, at the ministry’s headquarters in the Latin American giant’s capital on Friday evening (18). At the council’s request to discuss the initiative United for Lebanon (UFL) the diplomats were received by the minister.
On Tuesday (22), the dean of the council, Palestinian Ambassador Ibrahim Alzeben, told ANBA that he opened the meeting by thanking the Brazilian government for its “ongoing support” for Palestinian and Lebanese causes and highlighted the context of the “aggressions” by Israel against the two Arab peoples. Some ambassadors advocated for the reform of multilateral institutions. During the meeting, the chargé d’affaires of the Lebanese embassy, George Al Jallad, presented the latest developments in the conflict and a summary of the activities of the UFL.
UFL is a non-profit organization that raises money and medicine donations for the Arab country. Through UFL’s coordination with government agencies and other institutions, medicines and hospital supplies are being sent on repatriation flights for Brazilians in the Arab country. Vieira told the assembled, Alzeben reported, that 3,500 Brazilians had expressed their desire to leave Lebanon by Friday, of which 1,200 had already been evacuated. Citizens from Chile, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay have also been assisted by the Brazilian mission to leave Lebanon.
Brazil and Arabs can expand cooperation
Alzeben told ANBA that dialogues like this help build trust and develop lasting political, economic and investment partnerships. “Based on the historical links that unite Brazil with the Arab world and the significant presence of the Arab community, these meetings accelerate cooperation and exchange processes. The current political landscape in Brazil and the clear determination of President Lula and his administration to enhance and diversify relations with the Arab world create favorable conditions for greater integration,” he said.
In a post shared on its social media, the ministry said that Mauro Vieira reaffirmed the country’s support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon and reiterated the Brazilian government’s condemnation of the airstrikes and Israeli ground military operations in that country. Also present at the meeting was Carlos Sérgio Sobral Duarte, the secretary for Africa and the Middle East at the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to Alzeben, the council will be received on Wednesday (23) by the Chief Advisor of the Special Advisory of the Presidency of the Republic, Celso Amorim, at the Palácio do Planalto. Meetings have also been requested with the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Arthur Lira, and the President of the Federal Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco.
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Translated by Guilherme Miranda
