The President of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silvacelebrated on Sunday in Abu Dhabi the success of his tour to China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and highlighted the return of his country “to civilization”.
“I return to Brazil with the certainty that we are returning to civilization, because the government is doing what is its obligation, opening up to the world and at the same time convincing the world to open up to Brazil”Lula told reporters before returning to his country.
His comment was a veiled criticism of his predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, who was accused of isolating Brazil from much of the world. Lula’s tour made it possible to reach multimillion-dollar investment and trade agreements with both countries.
The agreements with China reach 50,000 million reais (10,180 million dollars) and the agreements with the Emirates 12,500 million reais (2,500 million dollars), pointed out the Brazilian leader.
“More important than the amount of money is the possibility of new agreements that can be reached, not only from a commercial point of view, but cultural, digital, educational, because we want more foreign students studying in Brazil and more Brazilians studying abroad,” he added. .
Lula also announced that he had invited the presidents of China, Xi Jinping, and the Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed ben Zayed al Nahyan, to Brazil, and that both could make the visit this year.
Agreements with the United Arab Emirates
In Abu Dhabi, the second leg of his trip after passing through China, where he met President Xi Jinping, the leaders of Brazil and the Emirates announced several agreements, including one for the Mataripe refinery, under Emirati control, in the Northeast Brazil, invest up to 2.5 billion dollars in a biodiesel project. There was also an agreement to cooperate against climate change.
The Emirates will host the UN COP28 climate summit, and Brazil is a candidate to host the 2025 edition. The two countries said they agreed to work together to “advance ambitious climate action” in the rest of the world.
In this regard, Lula said that Brazil has an “extraordinary comparative advantage” over other countries in climate matters due to its clean energy matrix and its investment potential in new renewable energy sources.
The Brazilian president was received by Sheikh Mohammed and his arrival at the presidential palace was greeted by a 21-gun salute.
Lula, who already governed the country between 2003 and 2010, was invited by his peer to attend iftar, the dinner that marks the end of the daytime fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Bilateral trade between the Emirates and Brazil amounted to 5,768 million dollars in 2022, with an increase of 74.5% compared to the previous year, and a surplus of 740 million in favor of Brazil, according to official data from the South American country.
On the import side, 89% of the total value corresponded to the purchase of oil and bituminous materials, derived from hydrocarbons.
In Beijing, Lula announced that Brazil is “back” on the international scene, after four years of relative retreat under the rule of his far-right predecessor Jair Bolsonaro (2019-2022).
The Brazilian president, who aspires to be part of a peace mediation between Russia and Ukraine, urged the United States to stop “fomenting war.”
Unlike Western powers, neither China nor Brazil have imposed sanctions against Russia and are trying to position themselves as mediators in the conflict that broke out in February 2022 when Russia invaded the former Soviet republic.
Lula has undertaken a delicate balancing act between the United States and China, two powers confronted by a growing number of files, including the tension between Beijing and the island of Taiwan.
In February, he was received at the White House by Joe Biden and both presented themselves as champions of democratic values and defenders of the environment.
On Saturday, before leaving China, Lula expressed confidence that this strengthening of relations between Brasilia and Beijing will not cause any “scratches” with the United States.
“We don’t need to break up and fight with anyone to improve. Brazil has to look for its interests. Brazil has to look for what it needs and Brazil has to make possible agreements with all countries“, he defended.
Xi, for his part, assured that the development of the Chinese economy “will open up new opportunities for Brazil and countries around the world.”
Source: Ambito
