The President of the Federal Republic of Brazil, HE President Lula Da Silva has bestowed on Minister Naledi Pandor, the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of the Republic of South Africa, an honorific award of the Grand Cross of the Order of Rio Branco.

Ambassador Benedicto Fonseca Filho, the Brazilian Ambassador to South Africa, will present the Order to Minister Pandor, on behalf of President Lula Da Silva, as follows:

Date: Friday, 17 May 2024

Time: 13h00 for 14h00

Venue: Brazilian Official Residence, 357 Edward Street, Waterkloof, Pretoria

Media are requested to RSVP by tomorrow, 16 May 2022, via michael.lawson@itamaraty.gov.br and/or rosela.alves@itamaraty.gov.br.

According to the Brazilian Government, the motivation to bestow on Minister Pandor this award stems from their wish to “recognise Minister Pandor for her continued good disposition towards Brazil as the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, a country with which she has shown to believe that South Africa can entertain an equitable and fruitful relationship, on bilateral and multilateral levels.”

The Order of Rio Branco is a Brazilian honorific award, started in 1963. It is named after Jose Maria da Silva Paronhos Junior, the Baron of Rio Branca, the Patron of the Brazilian Diplomacy. It is intended to honour nationals or foreign individuals, legal entities, military corporations or civil institutions for their services or exceptional merit. The Grand Cross is the highest grade of the Order of Rio Branca.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: Department of International Relations and Cooperation.