This is probably Lula’s last international trip of the year and his first since hip surgery two months ago.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) begins an international trip to Saudi Arabia this Tuesday (September 28) after appointing Justice Minister Flavio Dino and Deputy Electoral Attorney General Paulo Gonet for the Prosecutor’s Office to the STF (Federal Supreme Court) General (PGR). In eight days he will cross four countries: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Germany.
This is likely to be Lula’s last international trip of the year and his first since undergoing hip surgery two months ago: since taking office for his third term on January 1, the president has already traveled abroad 15 times.
When he returns to Brazil on December 5, he will have spent more than 60 days outside the country and will have visited 25 countries.
Although he was invited to the inauguration of Argentina’s newly elected president, Javier Milei, on December 10, the PT member is not expected to be present at the ceremony.
While the main theme of the trip is to present Brazil’s climate credentials to the world – with Lula returning to the United Nations climate conference (COP28) as head of state for the first time in 13 years – the first steps of this trip will be dedicated to Brazil’s commercial and political relations with the Arab world.
Lula embarked with a large delegation of ministers, including Fernando Haddad (Finance), Rui Costa (Civil Chamber), Alexandre Silveira (Mines and Energy), Carlos Fávaro (Agriculture), as well as authorities such as Aloizio Mercadante (president of the BNDES) , Jean Paul Prates (Petrobras), Jorge Viana (Apex-Brasil) and Rodrigo Pacheco (President of the Senate).
Environment Minister Marina Silva is expected to join Lula in Dubai, for COP28 and also on tour in Germany.
There has recently been a diplomatic rapprochement between Brazil and Saudi Arabia, the only Middle Eastern nation to participate in the G20 and a strong US ally in the region.
In August, at a summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, Saudi Arabia was invited to join the BRICS, the group of emerging powers that includes Brazil, India, China, Russia and South Africa.
Tuesday – the first day of Lula’s international tour – will be dedicated to foreign policy in Saudi Arabia.
Lula arrived around 12 in Riyadh (6 Brasilia time) and will meet at the Royal Palace of Al Yamamah the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohamed bin Salman, considered the de facto leader of Saudi Arabia (whose official head of state is his father, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, 87 years old).
Salman, 38, is today one of the greatest leaders in the Arab world and holds the position of prime minister of the country.
At the end of the day Lula and the prince will have dinner together.
In July this year, Lula canceled a dinner he had with bin Salman in Paris, citing tiredness after days of intense international work.
On Wednesday (29/11), the Brazilian delegation will deal with meetings of economic interest.
Saudi Arabia is Brazil’s main trading partner in the Middle East. Bilateral flow was over $8 billion in 2022 and totaled over $5.5 billion through October this year.
According to Itamaraty, “there is the potential to increase and diversify this flow, including higher value-added products. Saudi Arabia is an important supplier of hydrocarbons and chemical fertilizers to Brazil, while Brazilian exports are concentrated in food products.”
The Brazilian government is interested in receiving investments from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, a $775 billion sovereign wealth fund, where there are few Brazilian projects. From the Brazilian perspective, there is room for collaboration in the fields of technology and defense.
On Wednesday, Lula will participate in a Brazil-Saudi Arabia roundtable and also an Embraer seminar.
“There is the possibility of increasing Saudi investments in Brazil. It has already been there [em outubro de 2019] the announcement of the intention to invest [no Brasil] something around 10 billion dollars, part of which has already been invested, but there are still some good steps to further develop this relationship”, says Ambassador Carlos Sérgio Sobral Duarte, Itamaraty Secretary for Africa and the Middle Orient.
One of the possibilities is to attract investments from the Arab country in works of the New PAC (Growth Acceleration Programme).
The Brazil-Saudi Arabia relationship has strengthened in recent years, but there are also controversies.
Official trips to Saudi Arabia during the government of former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) are currently the subject of an investigation by the Federal Police (PF) in Brazil.
Brazilian authorities are investigating three boxes of jewelry donated to the Bolsonaro family. The first was awarded in 2019, when Bolsonaro traveled to the Arab country and is valued at R$500,000. It contained such jewels as a diamond-encrusted Rolex watch, a pen and some kind of Islamic rosary.
The second and third, worth more than R$16 million, were donated to the Bolsonaro family in 2021, during a trip by then Minister of Mines and Energy Bento Albuquerque to the Middle East.
The former president and his lawyers deny any wrongdoing in the case, which is ongoing.
Qatar, COP28 and Germany
On Wednesday afternoon Lula will travel to Qatar, the second country of his international tour.
In Doha, the PT member will once again participate in a forum with businessmen and meet the Emir of Qatar and the country’s top leader, Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.
Recently, Qatar helped broker a truce in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, with a hostage exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
The Gaza crisis is expected to be a topic of discussion between Lula and al-Thani.
“Qatar is a country that dialogues with the parties and with which Brazil has maintained an open channel of dialogue. Lately, on the issue of the repatriation of Brazilians who were in Gaza, the minister [das Relações Exteriores] Mauro Vieira has repeatedly indicated Qatar as an important interlocutor in this process,” said Sobral Duarte.
On Friday (1/12) and Saturday (2/12), Lula will participate in the COP28 in Dubai.
The environmental agenda has been one of the main hallmarks of the foreign policy of the government, whose international motto is “Brazil is back”.
Environment Minister Marina Silva said that during the summit the government intends to show results in the fight against deforestation.
According to the National Institute for Space Research (Inpe), deforestation in the Amazon has decreased by 22% in one year.
The Brazilian delegation is also expected to present a proposal for a new fundraising mechanism for forested countries.
One of the main themes of this year’s COP will be the change in the global energy matrix towards cleaner sources. Lula is expected to address a plenary session of world leaders.
Lula will conclude his international tour on Sunday and Monday with a visit to Germany, where he will meet Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
“The main areas [de interesse da viagem] they are the environment; climate change; global development; agriculture; bioeconomy; power; Health; science, technology and innovation. Furthermore, Germany is one of the countries they defend [a assinatura do] agreement [comercial] Mercosur-European Union,” says Ambassador Maria Luisa Escorel de Moraes, secretary for Europe and North America in Itamaraty.
There are expectations that the trade deal between the two blocs could finally be signed next month.
Diplomats have recently expressed concern that the Mercosur-European Union agreement may suffer a setback with the election of Argentina’s new president, Javier Milei.
Authorities are working to try to sign the agreement before Milei takes office. A summit will be held in Rio de Janeiro in December, where the treaty could be signed.
Source: Terra
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