18 January 2006 – Philippine Ambassador to Brasilia Teresita V.G. Barsana reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva has informed her of Brazil’s “strong interest in Asia” and “the need for increased official exchanges between Brazil and the Philippines particularly in the field of trade and investment.”

Ambassador Barsana informed the Department of the results of her talks with President Lula after presenting her Letter of Credence and the Letter of Recall of her predecessor during simple but impressive ceremonies at the Palacio de Planalto, the Presidential Palace, on 12 January 2006.

President Lula was “happy to note that the volume of trade between the Philippines and Brazil is increasing, with each country accounting for half the share of the US$500 million bilateral trade in 2005, per Brazil’s trade statistics,” Ambassador Barsana said.   With the keen interest in expanding bilateral trade and investments, President Lula discussed with Foreign Minister Celso Amorim “the possibility of a trade mission to the Philippines or an invitation to the Philippine Trade and Industry Secretary to visit Brazil,” Ambassador Barsana added.   The Ambassador also informed the Brazilian President of the expected participation of Philippine officials in the FAO-sponsored International Conference on Agrarian Reform to be held in Porto Alegre in March and the Ministerial Meeting of the Forum for East Asia and Latin American Cooperation (FEALAC) to be hosted by Brazil in August.

In presenting her Credentials, Ambassador Barsana conveyed to President Lula the warm greetings of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and her best wishes for the prosperity of Brazil.    She also conveyed the condolences of the Philippines on the untimely death of the head of Brazil’s peacekeeping force in Haiti.   President Lula expressed his appreciation for President Arroyo’s messages.

Ambassador Barsana held talks with President Lula, who was assisted by Foreign Minister Amorim, the President’s Chief International Adviser Professor Marco Aurelio and an interpreter.    After the 10-minute discussions, Ambassador Barsana introduced to President Lula the members of her staff, namely, Mr. Christopher B. Montero, First Secretary and Consul General; Mr. Alvin Osorio, Finance Officer, and Mr. Leonidas Logarta, Protocol Officer.

After the presentation of Credentials and talks with President Lula, Ambassador Barsana was given military honors by the Brazilian honor guards and reviewed the troops at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace.   The military band played the Philippine national anthem first followed by the Brazilian national anthem.   After the ceremony, Ambassador Barsana hosted a simple cocktail reception at the Ambassador’s residence attended by senior officials from the Ministry for External Relations and members of the Filipino community in Brasilia.

Ambassador Barsana was dressed in traditional Filipiniana terno while the Embassy staff wore pi?a and jusi barong tagalog.   (Please refer to the separate photo releases on this subject matter.) END