Brasilia, Dec. 30 (Prensa Latina) The president of the Palestinian National Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, arrived in Brazil on Thursday to attend the inauguration of President-elect Dilma Rousseff and lay the first stone of the new Palestinian embassy.

In a statement to Prensa Latina, Palestinian Ambassador Ibrahim Al Zeben said Abbas wants to thank President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Foreign Minister Celso Amorim in person for all the support given to the Palestinian people during the last eight years.

The diplomat also said that the PNA president would take part in the inauguration of President-elect Dilma Rousseff, to whom he will wish success in leading Brazil for the next four years.

Al Zeben said that Brazil is a special sister nation that defends the cause of the Palestinian people and recently recognized the Palestinian state, as was previously done by other Latin American countries like Cuba, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Venezuela.

The Brazilian government announced its recognition of the Palestinian state early this month.