The president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro met this Wednesday in Moscow with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in Moscowdefying warnings from the United States for his displacement at a time of high tension due to the crisis in Ukraine.
(Read: What are the reasons for Bolsonaro’s trip to Russia in the middle of the crisis?)
Bolsonaro traveled to Russia despite fears from Western countries that this country is preparing an attack against Ukraine, an accusation that Moscow denies. Before the trip, the president of Brazil, a traditional ally of Washington, dismissed pressure to cancel the trip.
(You may be interested in: The international agenda that will mark the world during this 2022)
Before travelling, Bolsonaro stressed that his visit to Moscow has purely commercial objectiveswhich are focused above all on Brazil’s growing need to guarantee the supply of Russian fertilizers for its agriculture.
Likewise, on the eve of Bolsonaro’s arrival, the Kremlin spokesman, Peskov, declared that in Moscow they were “impatiently” awaiting the president’s visit, in which both leaders will address a “strengthening of the strategic partnership between Russia and Brazil “, in addition to commercial, scientific, cultural matters and also “opinions will be exchanged on the most burning issues on the world agenda.” “.
According to the Brazilian Foreign Ministry, this matter will be discussed with Putin and also with a group of Russian businessmen with whom Bolsonaro and some members of his entourage will also meet in Moscow.
The Brazilian president arrived in Russia on Tuesday, where he was received at the foot of the plane’s steps by Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Riabkov. Along with the meetings of the two leaders, the Foreign and Defense Ministers, Carlos França and Braga Netto, respectively, held a meeting with their Russian counterparts, Sergei Lavrov, and Sergei Shoigú.
But before leaving for Moscow, Bolsonaro winked at Ukraine and reported that Foreign Minister Carlos França spoke by phone with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba.
Bolsonaro’s first steps in Russia
On his arrival in Russia, Jair Bolsonaro laid a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier in Moscow, near the Kremlin wall, dedicated to fallen Soviet fighters during World War II.
On behalf of the president, the Kremlin guard placed the crown, with flowers the color of the Brazilian flag, near the eternal flame of the tomb of the unknown soldier. Bolsonaro, accompanied by a large entourage, placed the crown ribbons and observed a minute of silence, after which the Brazilian anthem was played.
(Related to Brazil: Tragedy in Brazil: 38 dead due to landslides and heavy rains)
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier dates back to 1966 when the ashes of a Soviet soldier were transferred from the mass grave to the Moscow region and buried in a solemn ceremony in the Alexander Gardens. The following year, a memorial was inaugurated, the key element of which is the eternal flame.
What did Putin and Bolsonaro talk about?
I am very happy and honored by this invitation and we are in solidarity with Russia and we are very willing to collaborate in various areas: defense, oil and gas, and agriculture.
After the welcome ceremonies, the leaders met in the already popular room where Putin receives his guests, the Lower House, where there is a long table that has sparked numerous comments due to the distance it marks with its counterparts, although curiously , the position changed this time.
in the conversation, the Brazilian president has expressed his admiration for his Russian counterpart, at a time when it faces a complicated internal panorama with the presidential elections this year. In turn, he highlighted the reasons for the diplomatic trip that he undertook in Russia.
Following this, Bolsonaro stressed that his visit to Moscow is a “portrait” for the world that shows the growth that the two countries can have together. For its part, Russia supports Brazil for the entry of the Latin American country into the UN Security Council as a permanent member.
(Don’t Miss: What’s Happening Between Ukraine and Russia? Here’s What You Need to Know)
“Brazil is now a non-permanent member of the Security Council. Today we confirm Russia’s support for Brazil’s candidacy for its permanent seat on the Security Council in the context of expanding the composition of that body,” the minister said. of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Sergey Lavrov.
“Despite all the restrictions, last year the increase in trade reached 80%”
Sitting next to their interpreters and without wearing a mask, Bolsonaro and Putin gave a quick statement and were friendly before the cameras. Immediately, the head of the Kremlin said that he is glad to see Bolsonaro in Moscow and recalled that it is his first visit to the Slavic country.
Putin highlighted the significant growth of trade with Brazil when he received Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro at the Kremlin. “I hope that (the visit) will be productive,” said the Russian president. He also recalled that this Wednesday in the Russian capital the foreign and defense ministers of Russia and Brazil also met.
There is an intense commercial relationship between the two countries, with a balance clearly tilted in favor of Russia, which in 2021 exported products worth 5.7 billion dollars to Brazil, of which 60% corresponded to fertilizer operations. Brazil’s exports to Russia, also last year, totaled 1,590 million dollars and were made up, above all, of food products.
This was the meeting between the ministers
In a joint press conference with his Brazilian counterpart, Carlos França, Seguéi Lavrov pointed out that Moscow and Brasilia maintain close cooperation in the UN on security matters. “We are working closely at the UN in a variety of fields related to strengthening international security, resolving regional conflicts,” he said.
This Wednesday in Moscow, a meeting between the foreign and defense ministers of Russia and Brazil was held for the first time in the “2+2” format. The meeting took place hours before a summit in the Kremlin between the leaders of both countries, Vladimir Putin and Jair Bolsonaro.
Lavrov pointed out after the meeting with França and the Brazilian Defense Minister, General Walter Braga Netto, that the parties also discussed the development of military-technical cooperation between Russia and Brazil. The Brazilian minister said in this regard that military-technical cooperation with Russia is becoming one of the most important issues in the bilateral relationship.
The Russian Minister of Defense, Sergei Shoigu, in turn, told his counterpart Walter Braga Netto that Brazil is a strategic partner of Russia and that the dialogue between the defense departments of the two countries will contribute to reinforcing stability in the region, according to a military statement.
INTERNATIONAL WRITING
*With information from EFE and AFP
More world news:
– The country in the world that is looking for people in the face of a population crisis
– What’s next for the former president of Honduras who was asked for extradition?
– Tragedy in Brazil: 38 dead due to landslides and heavy rains
#Putin #Bolsonaro #meet #Moscow #economic #diplomatic #purposes