After months of anticipation and weeks of offering appointment-only services, the Consulate General of Brazil for the Southeast officially opened in Atlanta on Aug. 26.

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The ribbon-cutting ceremony and champagne reception marked the consulate's return to the Georgia capital. Brazil's previous consulate left in the wake of the 1996 Olympics, when its government cut back on overseas spending.

The opening drew business and government leaders from Georgia and Brazil to the consulate's eighth-floor offices at the One Alliance Center building in Buckhead. Consul General Adalnio Senna Ganem said the return may have taken awhile, but this time they hope to make it stick.

Gov. Sonny Perdue made the announcement of the consulate's decision to move back to Georgia during a ceremony at the State Capitol in February.

At that point, the consulate had no offices. With its new, customized space, the full consulate can now serve the more than 20,000 Brazilians living in Georgia and thousands more throughout its six-state jurisdiction.

Oto Maia, Brazil’s recently appointed undersecretary of state for Brazilian communities abroad, said the consulate will also be a business conduit between Georgia and Brazil.

Government officials including U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson and Georgia Economic Development Commissioner Ken Stewart said Brazil's diplomatic presence in the region has the potential to profoundly impact the state's efforts to expand international trade and become a hub for energy innovation.

The consulate currently has 21 employees and could become one of Atlanta’s largest and busiest with 30 staff members at full capacity. Although it's currently operating with three lines, 14 telephone lines will soon connect callers to the consulate's new computer answering service.

The staff will help Brazilian citizens obtain passports, and the consulate can process visas for business and leisure travelers within 24 hours of their initial application.