At his meeting, yesterday, June 13, with the Socialist mayor of Paris, Bertrand Delanoe, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stressed the long-standing friendship that exists between Brazil and France, where, according to Lula, Brazilians discover a “second home.”

The President recalled that France “welcomed Brazilian intellectuals, such as the writer Jorge Amado and the economist Celso Furtado, during the period of dictatorship.”

And that “it assured them the right to be citizens of the world at a time when repression and intolerance had taken over my country.”

Addressing an audience composed of French citizens and representatives of the Brazilian community in the grand hall of the Paris Prefecture, Lula observed that, for many countries, the French capital represents a “symbol of the right to think and protest.”

And he recalled that his party, the PT (Workers’ Party), was created to seek a better life for workers. “It was with this conviction that we founded the PT and fought for political democracy and social justice in my country.”

Earlier, the mayor of Paris had praised Lula for remaining true to his origins.

ABr – www.radiobras.gov.br

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva declared today in the Palais de l’Elysée (Elysian Palace), the seat of the French government, that the Year of Brazil in France marks the relationship between the two countries.

The President recalled that since 1980, when he was still a union leader, he has been close to the French labor and socialist movements.

President Lula was received at the palace by the French President, Jacques Chirac, after attending the military parade to commemorate the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789.

The date is now the French Republic’s national holiday. Seven thousand people were present at the reception in the palace gardens.

Lula said that, when he took over the presidency, he didn’t know how his union background would affect his relationship with President Chirac.

Since their first meeting, however, “Chirac has shown himself to be a statesman who respects everyone equally.” Lula also noted that Chirac was the first President to join him in the war on hunger.

President Chirac also spoke at the event. He said he was proud to be at Lula’s side in the effort to finance development around the world and affirmed he has no doubts that the two will succeed in making progress.

Lula also visited the Brazil Space, a center erected to display the diversity of Brazilian culture.

ABr – www.radiobras.gov.br

The Foreign Press Support Center, in Paris, is holding the 1st International Encounter on the Press and Media in Brazil, today, as part of the Year of Brazil in France, which got underway officially in March.

The seminar enjoys the participation of Brazilian and French journalists and media researchers and specialists from the Sorbonne University’s Institute of Advanced Latin American Studies.

One of the main topics of debate is the role of the Brazilian press vis-í -vis opinion-makers and the extent to which the printed media, television networks, and radio stations influence the public policy agenda.

Press freedom, the relationship between professionalization and diversity, and images of Brazil in the French media and images of France in the Brazilian media will also be treated.

Art, Culture and Cuisine

As part of the Year of Brazil in France, Paris is also receiving the Roots of Brazil program, a series of exhibits that demonstrate the diversity and arts of Brazilian indigenous communities. This information was provided by .

According to Márcio Meire, secretary of Institutional Relations of the Ministry of Culture, Brazilian art will also be present at the event, which began this month and will run through December.

“We will have contemporary and modern artists,” he said. In May, Paris will host an exposition on alternative environmental development projects formulated by Brazilians.

“They represent solutions and paths that permit the economic and social sustainability of communities that live in the Amazon,” Meire informed.

The participation of Africa in Brazil’s formation will also be shown. “We will present exhibits on the great force that all those who came from Africa, and who constitute a significant part of Brazil’s cultural origins, brought to Brazil.”

The country’s diversified cuisine will also deserve a prominent place during the nine months of the exposition. “Typical dishes from the states of Bahia, Minas Gerais, and Pará will travel to France,” he says.

Meire emphasizes the importance of publicizing Brazilian culture in France. “France is a country that receives around 70 million tourists each year, people from all over the world who can become better acquainted with our country,” he points out.

In his view, another important aspect of the event is the economic effect. “It also helps to publicize Brazilian products, our creativity, and our technological capacity to produce export goods,” he affirms . According to Meire, this year France is already importing more from Brazil than it has in previous years.

For the secretary, the government’s policies have also ended up becoming an “export product.” He believes that President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has been an innovator in this regard.

“For example, Lula is placing the question of combatting hunger, as well as the necessity of creating a world fund to combat hunger and poverty, on the international agenda. And France is a country that has been one of Brazil’s partners on this issue,” he adds.

Agência Brasil

Four hundred Brazilian cultural events will be presented during the Year of Brazil in France. The commemoration is being sponsored by the Brazilian Export Promotion Agency (Apex), in conjunction with its French counterpart, the UBI France.

The announcement of the program was made Monday, November 2, in São Paulo, Brazil, by the Brazilian Minister of Culture, Gilberto Gil.

The Year of Brazil in France will run from March through December, 2005.

It will encompass debates, theatrical works, photography and painting exhibits, culinary demonstrations, shows, and literary symposia, among other activities.

“It is an excellent opportunity for Brazil to display all of itself,” Gil declared.

This will be the fifteenth time that the French government has invited a country to demonstrate its culture.

According to the press office of the Brazilian Ministry of Culture, Brazil will be the last country to receive such an invitation.

In 2003, China was the country that was honored, and this year is Poland’s turn.

In addition, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was asked to take part in the commemoration of the French Revolution on July 14.

According to the Ministry, up to now this invitation has been extended to only three foreign heads of State.

Parallel to the cultural presentations, the Apex and UBI France will publicize opportunities for business between the two countries.

Among the activities that are planned are shows by Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Marcelo D2, and Maria Rita and sound trucks with live Carnaval bands traversing the streets of such cities as Paris, Nice, and Cannes.

Also in the program are performances of the play, Os Sertões, directd by José Celso Martinez Correa; and various events promoting Brazilian folk literature, such as the 1st International Brazilian Folk Literature Congress.

The Louvre will also participate in the events presenting an exposition of works painted by Franz Post in Brazil in the 18th century.

Agência Brasil
Translator: David Silberstein