THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
November 19, 2024 at 15:12 JST
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in his office in Brasilia (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
Japan will invite Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as a state guest in March next year, marking the first such visit since the COVID-19 pandemic, government sources revealed.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, currently visiting Brazil to attend the Group of 20 summit, is set to extend the invitation to Lula in person on Nov. 19.
The year 2025 marks the 130th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Brazil, which positions itself as a leader in the Global South.
With Brazil boasting the largest Japanese diaspora in the world and being the largest economy in South America, Japanese businesses have a keen interest in the country's resources, biofuels and other sectors.
During Lula's visit, the two countries are expected to work toward establishing a strategic partnership framework between Japan and the Southern Common Market (Mercosur), a South American trade bloc.
The framework will focus on fostering mutually beneficial cooperation in trade and investment, with a senior Foreign Ministry official describing its goal as “a win-win partnership.”
While a highly anticipated economic partnership agreement is not on the immediate agenda, the two sides are expected to discuss strengthening supply chains for commodities such as feed grains and rare metals, as well as cooperation on economic security.
Japan and Brazil, along with Germany and India, are members of the G4, a group of nations seeking permanent seats on the U.N. Security Council.
In May, then-Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited Brazil to reaffirm close cooperation with Lula on the campaign ahead of the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations next year.
In March next year, Lula will be accorded the highest level of hospitality as a state guest, including a banquet hosted by Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako at the Imperial Palace.
The last state visit to Japan was by then-U.S. President Donald Trump in May 2019.
(This article was written by Shino Matsuyama in Rio de Janeiro and Nen Satomi in Tokyo.)
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