São Paulo – The Lebanese president, Michel Sleiman, invited the Brazilian president, Dilma Rousseff, to pay a visit to his country. The invitation was conveyed to the vice president of Brazil, Michel Temer, who is of Lebanese descent and travelled to the Arab country, where he was welcomed with honour and celebrations. Sleiman met with Temer during the weekend and spoke on the poverty-fighting effort implemented by the Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva administration, and on the importance of the vice president’s support, then the president of the Federal Chamber of Deputies, in that regard. “You are treading the same path, alongside Dilma Rousseff,” said Sleiman.
The vice president’s official schedule in Lebanon began last Saturday and ended this Wednesday (23rd), according to information supplied by Temer’s press office. In Lebanon, the vice president, who travelled alongside a delegation of businessmen, engaged in a series of activities, including attending a ceremony to welcome the frigate União, of the Brazilian Navy, which will take part in the United Nations peacekeeping operation in the Arab country, a parade to celebrate the 68th anniversary of Lebanese independence, in Beirut, and the visit to the city of origin of his ancestors, Btaaboura.
During the meeting with Temer, Sleiman praised Brazil. “Brazil has been able to overcome the economic and financial difficulties it was facing. Thus it has lately been ranked as the sixth in the world in terms of economic strength and cohesion. In addition to that, it achieved great success in leading a pioneer and brave campaign to fight poverty,” said the Lebanese president. He gave thanks to Brazil for its support to Palestine’s recognition by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) and stated that he backs Brazil’s bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
Temer, in turn, praised Sleiman’s government. According to information published by the Lebanese government, the Brazilian vice president claimed that Sleiman has been able to maintain democracy in his country at critical times for the Arab world. He also expressed his willingness to strengthen bilateral trade between the two countries, and said that he is proud of his origins. Temer was received at the Baabda Palace, and a banquet was offered in his honour. Sleiman offered Temer Lebanese citizenship, who accepted it readily.
In the land of his ancestors, an even larger party was thrown for the vice president. According to information published by Lebanese newspaper The Daily Star, the city of Koura Btaaboura celebrated Temer’s arrival with welcome banners written in Portuguese and greeted him with Brazilian and Lebanese flags. In the city, Temer inaugurated a street named after him and was invited to plant a pine tree along with the mayor of Btaaboura, Bassam Barbar.
Also during the weekend, the vice president was also received over dinner by the speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, Nabih Berri, and attended other meetings. At one such meeting, with the Council of Brazilian Citizens, members of the group, such as executive secretary Roberto Khatlab, gave their accounts of the Council’s activities. According to information supplied by Kahtlab, the vice president also inaugurated “Prime Center,” a Brazilian trade-oriented initiative in the Bekaa Valley, and members of the delegation that accompanied him paid a visit to the Center for Latin American Studies and Cultures at the Saint-Esprit de Kaslik University (Usek), of which Khatlab is the director.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
