On the second day of his State visit to the United Kingdom, this Wednesday, March 8, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva received the mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, and met with members of the British Parliament in Westminster Palace.
He also went to the Barbican Cultural Center to see the Tropicália exhibit [Tropicália was a Brazilian cultural movement in the late 1960’s].
The exhibit, which comprises artwork, music, photographs, and books from the period, will remain in the British capital through May. Tropicália sprang from an installation created in 1967 by the Brazilian artist, Hélio Oiticica.
The movement was a blend of psychedelia, the Beatles, and Brazilian popular music, together with other elements. Some of the prominent participants in the movement, which lasted from 1967 to 1972, were singer/songwriters Caetano Veloso, Gal Costa, Tom Zé, and Jorge Ben and the musical group Os Mutantes ("The Mutants").
The Brazilian President will also give the closing speech at the Brazil-United Kingdom business seminar, which gathered representatives of various economic sectors from both countries to discuss new investment opportunities in Brazil.
Agreements
The Brazilian and British governments endorsed three agreements Tuesday, March 7. The first agreement provides for cooperation between the two countries in the promotion of sustainable development, including protection of natural resources, prevention of climate change, and elimination of poverty.
The second agreement establishes cooperation in the fight against AIDS. In addition to an exchange of experiences, Great Britain and North Ireland will contribute around US$ 1.8 million to strengthen the International Center for Technical Cooperation on HIV/AIDS, which has been functioning in Brazil since January, 2005.
The third agreement provides for an exchange of information in the area of health.
ABr