The decision, confirmed by a ministry press official in Brasilia, follows Egypt's ban of beef on Monday from Parana state, where a cow that died two years ago had developed atypical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease.
His decision, in 2005, to press for international acceptance of India's civil nuclear programme, ending a ban on foreign assistance imposed because of India's refusal to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, was meant to usher in a new era of co-operation and trust.
The SBC's official news agency, Baptist Press, recently reported that the Royal Ambassador program might spread to more Southern Baptist churches if the BSA's ban is lifted.