Brazil’s Lula starts Europe visit amid Ukraine tensions
Published: 03:04 PM,Apr 22,2023 | EDITED : 07:04 PM,Apr 22,2023
LISBON: Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Saturday held talks with his Portuguese counterpart, kicking off his first European tour since resuming office in January, amid tensions with the West over the war in Ukraine.
The veteran left-winger is seeking to revive Brazil’s diplomatic relations after four years of relative isolation under his far-right predecessor Jair Bolsonaro.
In February, he travelled to Washington to meet US President Joe Biden and earlier this month visited China, Brazil’s largest trading partner. Portugal is Brazil’s former colonial power, from which it won independence in 1822.
Lula, a 77-year-old former metalworker who previously served as president from 2003 to 2010, is hoping to revive Brazil’s role as a dealmaker and go-between.
On Saturday, he met Portugal’s President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa after being greeted with military honours. He later met Prime Minister Antonio Costa.
Brazil and Portugal will sign deals on energy, science, education and other sectors, but have found themselves at odds over the war in Ukraine.
Yet recent remarks from Lula chiding the European Union and the United States over the war in Ukraine will likely fan diplomatic awkwardness during his four-day visit to Portugal and a subsequent visit to Spain.
On Friday, Lula announced he was sending his top foreign policy adviser to Kyiv after Ukrainian community members in Portugal met the Brazilian delegation in Lisbon.
“Celso Amorim will go to Kyiv to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky,” the Brazilian government said.
“Brazil is determined to contribute to fostering dialogue and peace, and an end to this conflict.”
On a recent visit to China, Lula said Washington should stop “encouraging” the war by supplying weapons to Kyiv, and the United States and the European Union “need to start talking about peace”. — AFP
The veteran left-winger is seeking to revive Brazil’s diplomatic relations after four years of relative isolation under his far-right predecessor Jair Bolsonaro.
In February, he travelled to Washington to meet US President Joe Biden and earlier this month visited China, Brazil’s largest trading partner. Portugal is Brazil’s former colonial power, from which it won independence in 1822.
Lula, a 77-year-old former metalworker who previously served as president from 2003 to 2010, is hoping to revive Brazil’s role as a dealmaker and go-between.
On Saturday, he met Portugal’s President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa after being greeted with military honours. He later met Prime Minister Antonio Costa.
Brazil and Portugal will sign deals on energy, science, education and other sectors, but have found themselves at odds over the war in Ukraine.
Yet recent remarks from Lula chiding the European Union and the United States over the war in Ukraine will likely fan diplomatic awkwardness during his four-day visit to Portugal and a subsequent visit to Spain.
On Friday, Lula announced he was sending his top foreign policy adviser to Kyiv after Ukrainian community members in Portugal met the Brazilian delegation in Lisbon.
“Celso Amorim will go to Kyiv to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky,” the Brazilian government said.
“Brazil is determined to contribute to fostering dialogue and peace, and an end to this conflict.”
On a recent visit to China, Lula said Washington should stop “encouraging” the war by supplying weapons to Kyiv, and the United States and the European Union “need to start talking about peace”. — AFP