President Lula takes off for Russia and China
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva left on Tuesday (May 6) for a trip to Russia and China in search of opportunities to diversify trade for Brazil and strengthen diplomatic ties.
Before going to China, the president will visit Russia from May 8 to 10. At the invitation of President Vladimir Putin, he will take part in the celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi in the Second World War. This is Russia’s most important holiday, celebrated on May 9 with a massive civic-military parade in Moscow.
In addition to the celebrations, President Lula is set to hold a bilateral meeting with the Russian leader aimed at g acts in science and technology. The delegation includes Minister of Mines and Energy Alexandre Silveira and Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation Luciana Santos.
The secretary for Asia and the Pacific at Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Relations, Ambassador Eduardo Paes Saboia, pointed out that Brazil nurtures vital commercial ties with Russia, importing two key products—fertilizers and diesel—and exporting agribusiness products. There is, he added, a deficit on the Brazilian side.
“We want to bring our trade balance back into equilibrium and increase our exports to Russia,” he stated.
Regarding Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ambassador recalled that Brazil maintains its position as a nation guided by international law, defending principles such as the territorial integrity of countries and the peaceful resolution of disputes. In this sense, Brazilian diplomacy is in dialogue with all the parties involved in the conflict.
China
At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, President Lula is taking part in the summit between China and the countries of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) on May 12 and 13, as well as making a state visit and g at least 16 bilateral agreements.
“The list of agreements is prolific and varied,” Ambassador Saboia said at a press conference on Tuesday (6). Another 32 acts, he went on to mention, are under negotiation and could be added to the list.
Saboia recalled that China is Brazil’s largest trading partner, with Brazil enjoying a surplus, and a major investor in the country. Their bilateral relationship is highly institutionalized.
CELAC
The Secretary for Latin America and the Caribbean at the Ministry of Foreign Relations, Ambassador Gisela Padovan, explained that President Lula’s participation in the China–CELAC summit is a reflex of the importance the Brazilian president attaches to regional integration and to President Xi Jinping’s recognition of Brazil’s ability to convene nations in Latin America and the Caribbean and devise proposals.
“The two sides are very interested in each other, and also in this dialogue between the two regions, in which of course Brazil has a responsibility not to lead but to convene, to propose, to bring together, and to mobilize cooperation regionally as well. We also intend to work with Central America in the future,” he said at the Tuesday presser.
CELAC is made up of 33 countries from the region. When he took office for a third term in 2023, President Lula announced Brazil’s return to the bloc after three years away.
