RIO DE JANEIRO, April 10 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro attended a dinner with ambassadors of about 40 Islamic countries on Wednesday evening in Brasilia to boost ties after the country's controversial move on Jerusalem.
The dinner was organized by the Agriculture Ministry and the National Agriculture Confederation. Agriculture Minister Tereza Cristina and Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo also attended the event.
In the dinner, Bolsonaro said Brazil has "its arms open to everyone" and expressed his hope that trade relations will bloom into ties of friendship.
The event is a move to strengthen ties with Islamic nations after Bolsonaro's trip to Israel early this month.
During the visit, Bolsonaro announced that Brazil would open a diplomatic office in Jerusalem. Before taking office, he had promised to move the Brazilian embassy in Israel from Tel-Aviv to Jerusalem, which would indicate Brazil's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital city.
Bolsonaro's announcement prompted criticism from the Palestinian National Authority and some Arabic countries.
As Arabic countries are important buyers of Brazilian meat and poultry, Brazil decided to host the dinner to boost relations.
