By Xinhua | May 7, 2025 | 08:46
The Brazilian president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, reacts upon his arrival at the IX Summit of Chiefs, Heads of state and government of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), in Tegucigalpa, capital of Honduras, on April 9, 2025. (Xinhua/David de la Paz)
The president of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, will travel on Tuesday night to Russia and China with the aim of expanding commercial and economic relations, and the strengthening of diplomatic ties, according to reports released by the Brazilian Foreign Ministry.
At the invitation of the president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, the Brazilian president will visit Russia from May 8 to 10, where he will participate in the celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet Union over Nazi Germany in World War II, and will maintain an encounter with his Russian counterpart, in which the signature of minutes in the area of science and technology is expected.
The Secretary of Economic and Financial Affairs of the Brazilian Foreign Ministry, Ambassador Mauricio Lyrio, explained that Brazil maintains an important commercial relationship with Russia, importing two key products, fertilizers and diesel, and mainly exporting agribusiness products.
Invited by the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, Lula da Silva will then participate in the summit between China and the countries of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), on May 12 and 13, in addition to a bilateral meeting.
During his visit to China, the signing of 16 bilateral agreements is planned and another 32 are in negotiation, Ambassador Mauricio Lyrio reported today.
This will be the third state meeting between the two presidents in the current government of Lula da Silva, being the most recent that took place in November 2024, when Xi Jinping visited Brasilia.
-Lyrio recalled that China is the largest commercial partner in Brazil and an important investor in the country, in a bilateral relationship with a high level of institutionalization.
The delegation of the Brazilian president will include numerous ministers and parliamentarians, reflecting “the density of the relationship.”
“There is a mobilization of the entire esplanade (of the ministries) to intensify this relationship with China in the field of infrastructure, finance and science, technology and innovation,” said Lyrio.
He also mentioned Brazil’s intention to attract Chinese investments for Brazilian projects of neo -industrialization, technological training and energy transition.
For its part, the Secretary for Latin America and the Caribbean of the Foreign Ministry, the ambassador Gisela Padovan, explained that the participation of Lula in the Chinese-Celac summit is due to the importance that the Brazilian president grants to regional integration.
CELAC was created in 2010 and is made up of 33 countries in the region.
When assuming his third term in 2023, Lula da Silva announced the return of Brazil to the block after three years of absence.
(Web Editor: Rosa Liu, Zhao Jian)
