Brazil to open office in Ramallah

Brazil's Foreign Ministry plans to open a diplomatic office in the West Bank city of Ramallah in preparation for the possible creation of a Palestinian state, officials said yesterday.

The office will serve mainly to carry out consular functions for Brazilian citizens in the West Bank who have difficulty reaching Tel Aviv because of Israeli blockades, according to the ministry's press office. It will also work toward fostering trade and improving diplomatic contacts.

The ministry provided no timetable.

The idea arose during a meeting between Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim and the Palestinian Minister for International Cooperation Nabil Shaath during Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's visit to Cairo in December.