President Lula’s press statement during State visit by President of Italy, Sergio Mattarella

It gives me great satisfaction to repay the hospitality with which President Mattarella welcomed me to Italy last year.

Once again, this year, during the G7, I was generously welcomed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

President Sergio Mattarella comes to Brazil for the first time in a particularly auspicious moment.

This visit represents the high point of celebrations commemorating the 150 years of Italian migration to Brazil, which has forever bound the trajectories of our countries.

Our bonds have been strengthened by demonstrations of friendship and solidarity exemplified by what happened after the floods that affected Rio Grande do Sul.

We are most grateful for the donation of 25 tons of humanitarian assistance we received from the government of Italy.

Those donations most certainly alleviated the enormous losses suffered by the gauchos [the population of the Southern state], which include a considerable portion of the more than 35 million Italian descendants in Brazil.

As presidents of the G20 and G7, respectively, Brazil and Italy have the opportunity to lead the search for solutions to common problems.

In our meeting today, we discussed some of the complex challenges of our time.

I conveyed my satisfaction regarding the victory of progressive forces in recent elections in the United Kingdom and France.

They are both key to defending democracy and social justice against the threats of extremism.

The war in Ukraine and the conflict in Gaza show that giving up on dialogue and diplomacy leads to harmful consequences.

As host country of the FAO and the World Food Programme, Italy has invited Brazil to join the G7 Working Group on Food Security.

I reciprocated this trust by inviting Italy to become part of the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty, which Brazil will launch during the G20.

Italian pioneering of mechanisms that swap debt for food will be especially valuable for our initiative.

Another cause that binds us is the just [energy] transition, particularly the belief in the potential of bioenergy.

We will continue to work together in the Global Alliance for Biofuels, launched last year in India, to disseminate the knowledge and technology required to expand the use of this alternative source of energy.

Italy and Brazil are among the world’s ten largest economies.

Two countries of this stature should have a flow of trade and investments commensurate with their wealth.

Our trade volume, approximately 10 billion, has only now returned to the levels of a decade ago.

I shared with President Mattarella my desire to diversify our trade and increase Brazilian exports.

The imminent resumption of the Brazil-Italy Council for Cooperation and Economic, Industrial and Financial Development could contribute significantly in this regard.

As I did during the recent Mercosur Summit in Asunción, I reiterated to the Italian President Brazil’s desire to conclude an agreement with the European Union as soon as possible, but one that is balanced and contributes to the development of both regions.

I made it clear that progress in the negotiations hinges on the Europeans resolving their own internal contradictions.

Measures such as the carbon tax, which has just been imposed unilaterally by the European Union, can affect five out of the top ten Brazilian exports to the Italian market.

CO2 emission reduction is an imperative, but it must not be done based on unilateral measures that will impact the lives of Brazilian producers and Italian consumers.

Italy is an important source of investments for Brazil — the almost 1500 Italian companies established here generate over 150,000 direct jobs.

Since the beginning of this term, we have been working to attract even greater investment. We can see a renewed interest in Brazil by the automotive industry.

Last year, the Stellantis group, resulting from the merger of Fiat-Chrysler and Peugeot, announced 30 billion for the modernization and expansion of their factories in Brazil.

This is the largest automotive industry investment in all of South America.

Energy is one of the sectors in which Italy is well positioned. Italian companies' wind and photovoltaic farms and their interest in green hydrogen show the potential to be exploited in this field.

An example of this is Enel’s investment of more than BRL 2 billion in the Aroeira Wind Complex in Bahia.

Opening new areas for cooperation does not mean abandoning our traditional cooperation in other areas.

Last year, technological cooperation in the development of the AMX fighter allowed Embraer to take a leap in its jet production.

Today, the company is able to collaborate with the Italian Air Force by providing C-390 Millenium aircraft.

Our societies are the greatest boosters of ties between Italy and Brazil.

So it is in our interest to bring them closer through simple measures that can support this exchange.

Therefore, I express my satisfaction regarding today’s signing of an agreement for the mutual recognition of national driver's licenses.

I hope this instrument can promote tourism and business and make the routine of Brazilians who live in Italy and the Italians who live in Brazil easier.

The University of São Paulo (USP) and EMBRAPA [the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation] also signed today Memorandums of Understanding with the University of Turim in the fields of academic and research cooperation in segments of the agri-food chain.

In 2007, during my second term, we signed a strategic partnership that gave a new boost to Brazil-Italy relations.

I want this visit to represent the renewal of this partnership, inaugurating a period of intense and dynamic contact between Brazil and Italy.

During his first visit to Brazil, President Mattarella will also travel to Rio Grande do Sul, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Salvador.

I am confident that he will gain a comprehensive perspective on the diversity, cultural and natural wealth and the potential of our beloved Brazil.

Thank you very much.