Brazil's new Ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS), Valter Pecly Moreira, reiterated his government's interest in taking a much more active role in the OAS as he assumed the Chair of the Organization’s Permanent Council for a three month period.

The Brazilian diplomat noted that his country has always viewed the OAS as a very important institution, and said that "having seen all the changes that the last few years have brought, Brazil is now restating its commitment to being more actively involved, by giving our hemispheric Organization the level of importance it merits."

Ambassador Pecly Moreira holds a law degree from the State University of Guanabara and has held senior positions in the Brazilian Foreign Ministry, which he joined in 1972. He has also held important positions with Brazil's diplomatic missions in Argentina, Germany, Switzerland and Paraguay, among others.

The newly-appointed Permanent Representative of Brazil succeeds Bolivia's Ambassador Marcelo Ostria Trigo as Permanent Council Chairman. Mexico's Ambassador, Claude Heller, will succeed Ambassador Alvaro Sevilla Siero of Nicaragua as Vice Chairman of the Council. Chairmanship of the OAS Permanent Council of member state ambassadors is for three months, following the alphabetical order of the countries.

Several ambassadors joined OAS Assistant Secretary General Christopher R. Thomas and senior OAS officials to witness the change of leadership of the Organization's second highest decision-making body.

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