Brazilian FM plans to visit Middle East

Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim will start a tour on Saturday to four Middle East countries and the Palestinian territories, the Brazilian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

Amorim will travel to Libya, Turkey, Palestine, Israel and Syria, where he will meet with local authorities "to discuss bilateral issues and to continue dialogues on the regional situation."

The ministry said Amorim will reiterate his country's willingness to mediate the Middle East conflicts.

Recently, Brazil has been seeking to expand its influence through more active participation in world affairs, as evidenced by its involvement in the Iranian nuclear issue when the leaders of Brazil and Turkey signed a fuel swap agreement with the Iranian government on the exchange of uranium for the Iranian nuclear program.

The agreement was later rejected by the Security Council of the United Nations (UN), which decided to impose sanctions on Tehran.

Brazil's diplomatic efforts are part of its bid to be a mediator between the Middle East conflicting parties in hopes of achieving negotiated solutions to the problems of the region.

In March, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva paid visits to Israel, the Palestinian territories and Jordan, where he attempted to persuade authorities to resume peace negotiations.

Source: Xinhua