UAE President receives President Lula of Brazil

The UAE’s President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan received Brazilian Head of State Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil on Saturday, April 15. President Lula is accompanied by his wife the First Lady of Brazil Rosângela Lula da Silva on his first official visit to the GCC since beginning his third term in office.

He was welcomed by Sheikh Mohamed at Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi. The UAE President expressed his hope that the visit by President Lula would serve to bolster bilateral relations, for the benefit of both nations and their people.

During their meeting, the two leaders reviewed existing areas of cooperation, including economic growth, trade, technology, environmental protection, climate change, renewable energy, food security and other aspects that serve both countries’ sustainable development ambitions.

Sheikh Mohamed and President Lula’s talks explored further areas for collaboration, with a focus on sustainability, innovation and economic opportunity.

I had the pleasure of welcoming President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to the UAE. Brazil has long been a key strategic partner of the UAE and our talks explored further opportunities for collaboration focused on sustainability, innovation & economic opportunity. pic.twitter.com/8yHzlr6K0E

— محمد بن زايد (@MohamedBinZayed) April 15, 2023

The two leaders also changed views on regional and international issues of common interest and reiterated their shared interest in supporting peace and stability in the world, in light of both countries’ current membership of the UN Security Council.

UAE-Brazil relations

Brazil is the UAE’s top trading partner in Latin America, according to non-oil foreign trade figures for 2022, and the country ranks second only to the US among the UAE’s most important trading partners in the Americas.

Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE’s Minister of State for Foreign Trade said trade between the two countries continued its robust upward trend in 2022, totalling more than $4bn, up 32 per cent, 67 per cent, and 43 per cent from 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

Read: The role of SMEs in boosting the trade relationship between Brazil and the UAE

“During the official visit of President Lula and his accompanying delegation to the UAE, we look forward to advancing joint efforts to promote trade and investment relations between the two countries to achieve further joint economic growth and constructive cooperation in priority sectors,” said Al Zeyoudi.

He underscored that trade and investment relations between the two nations play an important role in consolidating the bonds of cooperation between the two countries.

UAE-Brazil food security

Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, UAE’s Minister of Climate Change and the Environment said that Brazil is one of the country’s key strategic partners in its efforts to enhance food security and combat climate change.

“Poultry and sugarcane represent the two most prominent commodities in this field, which highlights the importance of cooperation between the two countries in the field of food security,” Almheiri said adding that Brazil is one of the top exporters of strategic food commodities in the world, and it can play a greater role in enhancing food security and eliminating hunger in the world.

On climate change, Almheiri said the location of the Amazon, which is critical for global climate balance and biodiversity, opens the way for more cooperation between Abu Dhabi and Brasília to advance global climate efforts and discover practical answers to the world’s most pressing crisis.

UAE-Brazil investments

The UAE is among the largest international investors in Brazil and Emirati companies including Mubadala, DP World, Emirates Airlines, First Abu Dhabi Bank and Yahsat have ploughed an estimated $5bn in the Latin American country.

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Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, UAE’s Minister of Economy said that Brazil and the UAE have been keen to facilitate trade, investment and tourism exchange, and trade and investment figures speak volumes for the growth of relations between the two countries.