Brasília – Brazil will be the only country in Latin America to send a Head of State to the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the African Union (which brings together 54 countries). President Dilma Rousseff should participate in the events on Saturday (25), in Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia. Social advances make Brazil one of the guests of honour at the celebrations, alongside France, the European Union, China and India.
Dilma should travel to Ethiopia on Wednesday (23) in the company of a committee of ministers Antonio Patriota (Foreign Relations) and Aloizio Mercadante (Education), as well as businessmen and advisors. The president should speak on Saturday afternoon. She will have a meeting with the prime minister of Ethiopia, Hailemariam Desalegn, who is interested in the agricultural development, income transfer and education programs implemented by the government of Brazil.
In Latin America, Brazil is the country with the greatest number of embassies in Africa. In total, there are 37 Brazilian representations in African countries. Of the Security Council of the United Nations, only China, the United States and Russia have embassies in Africa.
The concerns of the African Union are currently concentrated on the promotion of development of transport, energy and telecommunications grids, as well as economic integration, the fight to hunger and poverty and agricultural and rural incentives. However, the specific themes regarding Africa will be discussed at the African Union Summit, on the 26th and 27th, in which the Brazilian president should not participate.
*Translated by Mark Ament
