SALVADOR - Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Thursday received Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas here Thursday for the first in a series of discussions on forging peace in the Middle East, the foreign ministry said Thursday.
Abbas' travels here come as Brazil steps up its peacemaker role in the Middle East. Brazil last week hosted Israeli President Shimon Peres for a four-day visit, and next week was expected to welcome Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
The Brazilian president has cordial relations with Ahmadinejad. Brazil, like much of the rest of the world, maintains that Iran has a right to peaceful atomic energy and opposes further sanctions on Tehran.
In his meetings with Abbas, Lula was expected to reaffirm his support for an intervention by the international community that could lead eventually to the peace agreement that has eluded the region despite decades of diplomacy.
Last week, Abbas -- who has hinted he may resign over the impasse of peace efforts so far -- renewed his demand that Israel stop its illegal settlement construction in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Abbas and Lula also were expected to sign a technical cooperation agreement during their meetings.
Abbas, who had a series of meetings with ambassadors from several Middle Eastern countries in Brazil, was scheduled to attend a dinner hosted by Lula in his honor later Thursday.
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