HRH Prince Khalid Al-Faisal bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, Governor of Makkah Province and founding Patron of Painting & Patronage received in audience today the Minister of External Relations of the Federative Republic of Brazil, His Excellency Celso Amorim.
The audience which was held at the King Faisal Foundation was attended by the Chairman of Painting & Patronage HE Anthony Bailey, HH Prince Bandar bin Saud bin Khalid Al-Saud, Secretary General of the King Faisal Foundation and the Deputy Secretary General of the King Faisal Foundation, HE Yousef Al-Hamdan.
During the audience the Brazilian Foreign Minister confirmed to His Royal Highness that The President of the Federative Republic of Brazil, His Excellency Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva welcomed the forthcoming hosting of the Painting & Patronage initiative between Brazil and Saudi Arabia as an important vehicle to further cultural, educational, economic and political understanding between the two countries.
The External Relations Minister also confirmed that The President of Brazil has granted his High Patronage over the Painting & Patronage initiative which will take place in Brasilia and Sao Paulo with a return event for Brazilian artists in Riyadh.
For his part HRH Prince Khalid Al-Faisal confirmed his strong desire to visit Brazil and thanked the Brazilian President and Government for their official invitation. Prince Khalid Al-Faisal specifically mentioned his desire to visit the considerable Brazilian-Arab community in the Latin American nation.
The External Relations Minister also toured the King Faisal Commemorative Gallery accompanied by HRH Prince Khalid Al-Faisal. His Royal Highness also presented the Minister with a lithograph of one of his own paintings of Asir.
The Brazilian Foreign Minister was accompanied by the Ambassador of the Federative Republic of Brazil to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, HE Isnard Penha Brasil, Jr. Other delegation members included HE Ambassador Afonso Celso Ouro Preto, Special Envoy for Middle Eastern Affairs, HE Ambassador Ricardo Neiva Tavares, Press Secretary to the Ministry of External Affairs, HE Ambassador Maria Nazareth Farani Azevedo, Chief of Staff to the Minister, Minister Roberto Abdalla, Director of the Second Middle East Division, Counsellor Leonardo Luis Gorgulho Nogueira Fernandes, Assistant to the Minister, Secretary Nilo Dytz Filho, Assistant to the Minister.
Riyadh – 9 February 2008.
