Arab Republic of Egypt

Established in 1924, diplomatic relations between Brazil and Egypt gained momentum after the establishment of the Republic of Egypt in 1953, the year in which the Brazilian legation in Cairo was elevated to the category of Embassy. The legal framework that allowed for bilateral cooperation initiatives, strengthening political dialogue, and intensifying trade flows was established in the 1960s. The Egyptian Embassy in Brasilia became operational in 1976.

In December 2003, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva became the first Brazilian head of state to visit Egypt since D. Pedro II's trip to the Middle East, 127 years earlier. Several meetings between foreign ministers followed, the most recent of which was the visit that Foreign Minister Antonio de Aguiar Patriota made to Cairo in 2011. President Mohamed Morsi’s visit to Brazil (May 2013), in turn, was the first of an Egyptian head of state to the country.

In 2009 Brazil and Egypt established a mechanism for bilateral strategic dialogue. The multifaceted nature of Egypt's geopolitical insertion (in the Middle East, the Arab world, Africa and Mediterranean space) makes it a particularly important interlocutor.

In 2010, Egypt became the second extra-regional partner to sign a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with MERCOSUR. Today, Egypt is one of the largest markets for Brazilian beef in the world and the main destination for Brazilian exports in Africa. In 2019, it was the second Arab buyer of Brazilian products (US$ 1.84 billion), behind Saudi Arabia, after being the first in 2018.

Chronology of bilateral relations

2019 – The Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply, Teresa Cristina, visits Egypt (September)

2018 – The Minister of the Environment, Edson Duarte, visits Sharm El-Sheikh on the occasion of the 14th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (November)

2018 – The Executive-Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply, Eumar Novacki, visits Egypt (September)

2018 – Minister Aloysio Nunes Ferreira meets with former Prime Minister and special representative of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Mr. Sherif Ismail, on the sidelines of the 10th BRICS Summit, in Johannesburg (July)

2018 – Meeting of Political Consultations between Brazil and Egypt, in Cairo (April)

2018 – 1st Meeting of the Brazil-Egypt Business Council (February)

2017 – The Minister of Trade and Industry of Egypt, Tarek Kabil, visits Brazil representing President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, on the occasion of the 51st edition of the Summit of Heads of State of MERCOSUR and Associated States (December)

2017 – Bilateral meeting, in New York, between President Michel Temer and President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on the sidelines of the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly (September)

2017 – The MERCOSUR-Egypt Free Trade Agreement enters into force (September 1)

2014 – The Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply, Neri Geller, visits Egypt (August)

2013 – President Mohamed Morsi visits Brazil (May 8-9)

2012 – President Mohamed Morsi and President Dilma Rousseff meet on the sidelines of the 67th United Nations General Assembly (September)

2012 – Participation of Egyptian technicians, with funding from the Brazilian Cooperation Agency, in the Seminar "Social Policy for Development", organized by the Brazilian Ministry of Social Development (January)

2011 – Brazilian Cooperation Agency sends technical mission to Egypt (October)

2011 – Meeting of Political Consultations between Brazil and Egypt, in Cairo (May)

2011 – The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio de Aguiar Patriota, visits Egypt (May 7-8)

2011 – The Brazilian government makes contribution of $ 150,000 to activities of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Egypt (May)

2010 – The Minister of Foreign Trade and Industry of Egypt, Rachid Mohamed Rachid. During his participation at the MERCOSUR Summit in San Juan, the MERCOSUR-Egypt Free Trade Agreement is signed (August)

2010 – Meeting of Political Consultations between Brazil and Egypt, in Brasília (July)

2010 – Signing of Institutional Agreement between the Agricultural Research Center of Egypt and EMBRAPA (May)

2010 – The Minister of Development, Industry and Trade, Miguel Jorge, visits Egypt (March)

2009 – Foreign Minister Celso Amorim returns to Egypt to attend the International Conference of Sharm-El-Sheikh in Support of the Palestinian Economy for the Reconstruction of Gaza (March)

2009 – Foreign Minister Celso Amorim visits Egypt

2008 – Egyptian Minister of Commerce and Industry Rachid Mohammed Rachid visits Brazil (August)

2006 – Bilateral trade exchange grows 250% compared to 2001, reaching $ 1.3 billion

2005 – Signing of the Executive Program for the Implementation of the Cultural and Educational Agreement

2005 – Foreign Minister Aboul Gheit visits Brasilia to participate in the 1st South America – Arab Countries Summit (ASPA), on the margins of which he meets with Foreign Minister Celso Amorim (May)

2004 – Foreign Minister Celso Amorim visits Egypt to participate, as a special guest, in an Arab League meeting; meetings with Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher and Foreign Trade Minister Youssef Boutros Ghali (May)

2003 – Signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on Visa Waiver for Diplomatic, Official or Service Passport Holders

2003 – Signing of the Memorandum of Understanding to Establish Policy Consultations

2003 – The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Celso Amorim, visits Egypt (June)

2003 – President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva visits Egypt (December)

1996 – Signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on Tourism

1991 – Signing of the Complementary Adjustment to the Technical and Scientific Cooperation Agreement, on Cooperation in Research Applied to Agriculture and Related Areas

1991 – The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Francisco Rezek, visits Egypt

1987 – The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Roberto de Abreu Sodré, visits Egypt

1985 – Signing of an Agreement to create a Joint Brazilian-Egyptian Commission

1985 – The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, visits Brazil

1976 – Opening of the Egyptian Embassy in Brasilia

1973 – Signing of Technical and Scientific Cooperation Agreement

1973 – Signing of Commercial Agreement

1973 – The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brazil, Mario Gibson Barbosa, visits Egypt

1972 – The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt, Mourad Ghaleb, visits Brazil

1960 – Signing of Cultural Agreement

1953 – Brazilian diplomatic representation in Cairo elevated to Embassy level (decree nº 32.290, of February 20th)

1924 – Establishment of diplomatic relations; creation of the Legation of Brazil in Egypt, at the level of resident minister (decree nº 16.397, of February 27); arrival in Cairo of the resident minister of Brazil (August 6)

1922 – Brazil recognizes the independence of Egypt (decree nº 15.505, of May 31)

1917 – Brazil appoints resident minister to head the diplomatic agency in Egypt, also in charge of the Consulate General (decree 12.585, July 20)

1910 – The Consul General of Brazil in Alexandria becomes a political and diplomatic agent for Egypt (decree nº 2.259, of September 21)

1876 – Second visit of Emperor D. Pedro II to Egypt

1871 – First visit of Emperor D. Pedro II to Egypt

1863 – Brazil appoints honorary consul general in Alexandria (May 31)