Palestinian leader to lay first stone of Brazil embassy

[Judi Lynn]

Palestinian leader to lay first stone of Brazil embassy
December 29, 2010

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas is to lay the symbolic first stone of an embassy in Brazil this week, following Brasilia's decision to recognize a Palestinian state, the Palestinian representative here told AFP.

Abbas will head the stone-laying ceremony on Friday, and on Saturday he will attend the inauguration ceremony for Brazil's new president, Dilma Rousseff, Palestinian diplomatic representative Ibrahim al-Zeben said.

Brazil angered Israel and the United States early this month when it declared it was recognizing a sovereign Palestinian state within the borders before the 1967 Six Day War.

Argentina, Uruguay and Bolivia have since followed suit.

The other Latin American countries that previously recognized an independent Palestine are Cuba, Nicaragua, Costa Rica Venezuela.

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[Judi Lynn]

1. Brazil hosts first Palestine embassy in Americas

Brazil hosts first Palestine embassy in Americas
Fri Dec 31, 2010 12:26pm EST

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas thanked Brazil on Friday for recognizing his nation's statehood with the first embassy in the Americas and said other countries were following suit.
Brazil became the first of several South American countries in recent weeks to recognize a Palestine state along pre-1967 borders.

Since then Argentina, Uruguay, Bolivia and Ecuador have done the same. Chile, Mexico, Peru and Nicaragua are reported to be considering recognition.

Israel says the moves are "seriously harmful" to the Middle East peace process and Washington has called them "premature."

"We thank Brazil for its support in the construction of a Palestine state. This favor we will never forget," said Abbas after laying the cornerstone in Brasilia for his nation's first embassy in the Western Hemisphere.

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