MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

President elect Lula da Silva's foreign policy strategy

Future minister Vieira said that besides climate change, the Lula da Silva government will strengthen relations and mechanisms with Mercosur and Brics

Foreign policy is among the priorities of the incoming Brazilian administration of president Lula da Silva, who will be taking office next January first. Designated foreign minister, Ambassador Mauro Vieira said Brazil will have a leading role in combating climate change.

In effect one of the first steps in that direction happened immediately after the run off in the presidential election, when Lula da Silva as elected president traveled to Egypt to be present at the COP15 UN Conference on Climate Change. At the meeting Lula said that “Brazil is back” and proposed a new climate conference with the Amazon as the meeting point.

Vieira said that besides climate change, the Lula da Silva government will strengthen relations and mechanisms with Mercosur and Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa). A structural reform of the UN is also a priority and having Brazil hold a permanent seat at the Security Council, are also a highly important challenge.

Strategic trade relations such as with China are considered essential, taking into account that the Asian giant was the main client for Brazilian exports in 2021, taking 31,28% of the total, equivalent to US$ 87,7 billion.

On taking office president Lula da Silva will be traveling to Argentina to participate in the Celac (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States), summit at the end of January. According to the future foreign minister Vieira, “Lula is intent in a policy of 'bridge building', beginning with South American neighbors, reestablishing all dialogue and negotiations mechanisms, and then with Latin America in general”.

In the first quarter of next year Lula is planning trips to the US and to Beijing.

After the runoff and Lula confirmed as the next Brazilian president, his Chinese peer Xi Jinping sent a congratulations letter. “I was very pleased with the letter from president Xi, and his greetings on the electoral results, reinforcing friendship and strategic global partnership between our countries and the long range vision of relations between Brazil and China”, Lula commented in a twitter message.

Last month the US also approached the Brazilian president elect. Lula received a visit in Brasilia from president Biden's national security advisor, Jake Sullivan and other members from his administration. At the meeting Lula was invited to the White House, even before taking office, but it was not possible.

Jake Sullivan said president Biden would like to have a personal meeting with Lula to express his commitment to defend the vast Amazon rainforest and talk about a series of supports the US can offer, not only technical but also financial.