UK Ambassador Stephanie El Qaq welcomed the guests at the year-end celebration that took place Thursday the 15th at the official residence in Brasilia.
In her speech, she highlighted that Brazil and the United Kingdom are experiencing moments of political transition, with a change of government. “It is the right time for dialogue, building bridges and seeking common solutions to the challenges faced by the British and Brazilian people,” he said.
Al-Qaq noted that there are still a series of programs and initiatives led by the Embassy that show the strength of the bilateral partnership. “I want to reaffirm that Brazil is a priority for the UK,” he said.
Currently, it is the most important partnership between the UK and Brazil in the health field, as more than half of Brazilians have received at least one dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine, developed by the University of Oxford.
In the area of climate, the UK government has committed to investing £11.6 billion in an international climate function worldwide. We want to deepen our partnership with Brazil in the environmental field and in green development work. We want to move forward together towards a more sustainable world! I would also like to highlight that the British government is Brazil’s second largest partner in science and innovation.
The diplomat also talked about the Christmas traditions in her country and said that “the oldest Christmas tree in the world is in England, in a garden in Bedfordshire. It was planted in 1856 and brought to a palace every year, where it is decorated for family celebrations. After Christmas, it was Replant the tree in the garden.
“Friendly zombie guru. Avid pop culture scholar. Freelance travel geek. Wannabe troublemaker. Coffee specialist.”