President Lula (PT) embarks next Tuesday (13) on an official trip to Egypt and Ethiopia, on an itinerary that should have as one of the main moments a speech in defense of Palestine at the headquarters of the Arab League, in Cairo. .
Lula should still take advantage of his stay in the Egyptian capital to visit the pyramids and the Grand Museum of Egypt, together with the first lady, Rosângela Lula da Silva, known as Janja. In Ethiopia, the second stop on her trip to Africa, she will participate in the African Union summit.
The visit occurs more than 20 years after Lula’s first visit to the country, in December 2003, during his first term. At the time, the visit to Cairo was part of a tour of other Arab nations, such as Syria, Libya and the United Arab Emirates.
There are some similarities between the two trips. Although the objective announced two decades ago was strictly commercial, Lula made several comments on the peace process between Israel and Palestine, defending the creation of a State for the Palestinians – years later, Brazil would recognize Palestinian sovereignty.
The speeches took place during one of many moments of conflict in the region. By the time Lula arrived in Egypt, Israel had raided the Gaza Strip and blown up a building in Rafah, the same city where foreigners, including Brazilians, were evacuated during the ongoing war between the Israelis and the Hamas terrorist group.
The first day in Cairo, Wednesday (14), Lula and Janja must visit the pyramids that surround the Egyptian capital. The trip to the historical monuments was a request from the president himself, who will arrive a day before the official commitments.
In December 2003, Lula also dedicated some time to historical tourism. On that occasion, accompanied by the then First Lady Marisa Letícia (1950-2017), he was in the Cairo museum, visiting in particular the objects of Pharaoh Tutankhamun (1340 BC-1322 BC), until today the only Egyptian emperor whose tomb has been found intact, in 1922.
Lula is expected to visit the Arab League on Thursday (15). Authorities from Brazil and the organization are in final negotiations for him to speak at an extraordinary plenary session. Participation carries great symbolism, considering that you must speak directly with all the ambassadors of the 22 member countries.
If the speech takes place, the interlocutors at the Planalto Palace point out that the tone will be in favor of peace, condemning the death of civilians, particularly women and children. The president, then, must defend the existence of a Palestinian state that is economically viable.
Care will be taken to ensure that the statement does not sound anti-Israel. Advisers say that even within the Arab League there are nuances on the issue that must be respected.
Still in Cairo, Lula is expected to be received by Egyptian dictator Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. The PT member will even stay in one of the official residences of the Egyptian government for guests of honor. Both must sign cooperation agreements and give statements to the press, side by side.
Although it is not defined whether in Cairo or Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), the Brazilian is scheduled to meet with the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas. A meeting with the Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, is scheduled in the Ethiopian capital to address the crisis in the Middle East.
The war between Israel and Hamas should be one of the main topics of the meeting, and the Brazilian took the opportunity to thank Egypt for its actions during the process of the Brazilians’ withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
The Brazilian government from the beginning condemned Hamas’ actions in Israeli territory, calling them a terrorist attack, although it refused to use the same term to describe the faction itself. Lula subsequently began to more openly criticize Israel’s response, mainly due to the increasing number of civilian casualties.
out there
He even stated that he was under the impression that Israel was using the attacks to “expel the Palestinians” and thus occupy the territory. Brazil supported South Africa’s complaint to the UN International Court of Justice to investigate the accusation that Tel Aviv commits genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza; In the first assessment of the issue, the court ordered Israel to take measures to prevent acts of genocide, but did not determine an immediate ceasefire.
Brazil and Egypt will also discuss coordination for the reform of global economic institutions, an initiative of Lula that finds great support in Cairo. The African country is negotiating an increase in a loan granted by the IMF (International Monetary Fund), despite strict demands for restructuring the economy.
One of the measures practically about to be announced after Lula’s meeting with Sisi is the launch date of the direct flight between São Paulo and Cairo, which will be operated by EgyptAir. The connection seeks to promote Brazilian tourism in the Arab country and also boost business.
In Ethiopia, Lula will hold a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the African Union summit. The agenda is not yet closed, but he is expected to be received by the host president, Sahle-Work Zewde, and meet with the leaders of Nigeria, Kenya and Mozambique.
As in the meeting with Sisi, Lula should draw attention at the conference to the discussions surrounding the reform of the global economic system, particularly within the G20, currently under the Brazilian presidency.
2024-02-10 00:43:54
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