Brazil ratifies free trade deal with Palestine

July 9, 2024 - 22:50

Brazil has officially enacted a long-awaited free trade agreement with the Palestinian Authority, a move aimed at showing solidarity with the Palestinian people amid the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza.

“The agreement is a concrete contribution to an economically viable Palestinian state,” Brazil’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement, Al Mayadeen reported.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announced the ratification during his speech at the 64th Mercosur summit in Paraguay on Monday, expressing regret that the agreement took place while Palestinians are going through "a completely irrational war."

"We are proud to be the first country in the bloc to ratify the free trade agreement with Palestine. But I cannot help regret that this occurs in a context in which the Palestinian people are suffering as a result of a completely irrational war," Lula stressed.

Brazil recognized a Palestinian state in 2010 and hosts a Palestinian embassy in its capital.

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