Brasília, 3/24/2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - Queen Beatrix of Holland is making an official visit to Brazil, arriving today and remaining until March 29. She will visit the cities of Brasília, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, São José dos Campos (SP) and Recife (Pernambuco). Today in Brasília, Queen Beatrix will go to the Palácio do Planalto and meet with president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. She will also visit the Congress. Tonight president Lula will offer the queen a dinner at the Palácio Itamaraty.

In Rio the queen will visit assistance projects and meet with members of the Dutch colony. In São Jose dos Campos she will visit the aircraft manufacturer, Embraer, and in São Paulo the expositon of Albert Eckhout, a Dutchman who visited Brazil and painted pictures of the country during the colonial period. She will also visit Holambra, a city where Dutch residents grown flowers. In Recife she will visit the Ricardo Brennand Institute. (AB)