On September 9, the Embassy of Brazil celebrated 191th anniversary of the Independence of Brazil in Krtsanisi Residence Complex. Representatives of state organizations, Parliament Speaker David Usupashili, Minister of Defense Irakli Alasania, also ambassadors of various countries attended the event. The official part of the event started with the national anthems of Brazil and Georgia.

Then the Ambassador of Brazil to Georgia Carlos Alberto Asfora greeted the guests. He stated: “This is a very special occasion. We celebrate 20 year of diplomatic relations between Brazil and Georgia. We are improving bilateral ties: this year Mrs Maia Panjikidze, the Foreign Minister, visited Brazil. We received two ministers of Brazil in Georgia this year. So our friendship is developing. We have also a piece of good news to share with you: the Brazilian parliament has worked on bilateral treaty for elimination of visas for Georgian citizens to go to Brazil. Now it’s only waiting for the signature of the president of the republic and we hope the large number of Georgians will visit next World Cup in Brazil. Brazilians will welcome Georgians with open arms.”

Brazil celebrates the day of Independence every September 7. This is the day of Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and Algarve back in 1822.
Meanwhile Brazil met the day with protests demanding better public services and an end to corruption. In Rio de Janeiro, some 200 protesters interrupted the traditional Seventh of September military parade, shouting anti-government slogans. In the Brazil’s largest city Sao Paulo, around 2,000 people took part in a march calling for social justice.
They clashed with police who used tear gas and arrested scores of protesters.
There were further clashes in the capital – Brasilia - where President Dilma Rousseff was delivering a speech.
She said there was “still a lot to be done” in Brazil and that there were “acute problems to be addressed and the population has the right to demand changes”.
But she said the country had “progressed as never before in the last few years”.
The official ceremony went ahead without an incident, but hundreds of demonstrators later clashed with police outside the Congress building.
Demonstrators also attempted to make their voices heard outside the Mane Garrincha stadium ahead of a friendly match between the Brazilian football team and Australia.
The demonstrations grew into a much larger movement against corruption and excessive spending in preparations for the next year’s World Cup and the 2016 Olympics, which Rio will host.