Photo/Illutration Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, left, and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba after a joint news conference at the Akasaka Palace state guest house in Tokyo on March 26 (Pool)

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba met at the Akasaka Palace state guest house on March 26 to hash out an action plan for the next five years as part of Lula's official state visit.

The plan drawn up during the Motoakasaka meeting in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward includes mutual biennial visits from both country's leaders, economic security through the creation of supply chains and the launch of foreign affairs and defense dialogues between national authorities.

“I would like to further strengthen our relationship as partners who share the responsibility for solving problems,” Ishiba said at the beginning of the meeting.

“Confirming the importance of the values of democracy, multilateralism and free trade, which are the most important governance in the world, will be an important key to the development of both of our countries,” Lula responded.

During the meeting, Ishiba shared that new investments made by Japanese companies since 2024 are expected to reach 1.3 trillion yen ($8.65 billion).

“I want to take our economic relationship to even greater heights,” Ishiba added.

Lula is accompanied by executives from about 80 companies on his visit, including aircraft manufacturing giant Embraer S.A.

The governments and private companies of both countries have signed a total of 84 memorandums of understanding. 

At a joint news conference after the meeting, Lula expressed his intention to begin talks to create a trade agreement between Japan and the Southern Common Market (Mercosur), which consists of Brazil and other South American countries.

“I would like to start negotiations on a trade agreement with Japan” as early as the second half of this year, when Brazil will serve as the chair country, Lula said.

This year marks the 130th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations with Brazil.

Lula is the first state leader to visit Japan in about six years since U.S. President Donald Trump came before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019.

Brazil has been reviewing its excessive exports to China in recent years while growing cautious about exports to the United States after the Trump administration's introduction of high tariffs. Expectations for expanding trade with Japan, meanwhile, are high.

Furthermore, Brazil is increasing its presence as a central player in the Global South. It chairs the BRICS group of countries with emerging markets and is overseeing this year's United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30).

A senior Foreign Ministry official said Japan considers Brazil “extremely important in Japan's Global South diplomacy,” and is prepared to further accelerate the strengthening of Japan-Brazil relations.

(This article was written by Nen Satomi, Shino Matsuyama and Rihito Karube.)

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