Statement by Brazil’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mauro Vieira at the press conference held after the G20 Summit in New Delhi

I’d like to greet President Lula, who gave me the honor of opening this press conference, and speak briefly about this G20 Summit, and about the President’s bilateral meetings.

Regarding the G20, it is important to say that this is presently the world’s main group of countries to resolve international economic crises – and the one forum in which all great global powers are seated.

We have achieved for the first time one of the most important political breakthroughs since the beginning of the war in Ukraine: getting powerful countries that are directly or indirectly involved in the war to address the possibility of peace. The New Delhi G20 Leaders Declaration has managed – for the very first time – to state that countries will strive to achieve fair and lasting peace based on the principles of the UN Charter regarding the sovereignty of nations and the peaceful resolution of disputes.

G20 leaders want this fair and lasting peace, and they want it to be achieved through negotiations, through diplomacy. Now, we are all beginning to recognize that dialogue is essential and urgent – a position that Brazil has always expressed through President Lula. Brazil, in partnership with South Africa and India – the G20 Troika – have contributed to this consensus.

Another important step was taken: the inclusion of the African Union in the group of G20 member countries. All of Africa was represented at the G20 by the president of the African Union. There were also advances in social and gender issues. An action plan was approved to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

There was also a commitment to recover 30% of the world’s degraded areas by 2030. This is very important to food security.

And another important fact – one of the great highlights of this summit: alongside the Prime Minister of India (Narendra Modi), President Joe Biden (United States) and other leaders, President Lula participated in the launch of the Global Biofuel Alliance. A movement to reform the World Bank and expand its capital was also launched.

The Global Biofuel Alliance is extremely important. Brazil is a pioneering country, and has been a reference in this field for 50 years – and this announcement alongside a group of very important countries is undoubtedly one of this G20 meeting’s great contributions.

Well, concerning Brazil's presidency, President Lula has instructed us to put the reduction of all forms of inequality, the fight against hunger, and sustainable energy transition on the G20 group agenda – and, evidently, to place great emphasis on the environment.

This was the Summit in general lines.

Furthermore, President Lula took part in seven bilateral meetings – with the President of France (Emmanuel Macron); the Prime Minister of Turkey (Recep Tayyip Erdogan); the President of the European Commission (Ursula von der Leyen); the President of the European Council (Charles Michel); the Prime Minister of India (Narendra Modi); the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Mohammed bin Salman); and the Prime Minister of the Netherlands (Mark Rutte).

It is important to highlight that, in these meetings with Macron, the bilateral relationship between Brazil and France – their dialogue and strategic partnership – was reviewed. It was decided that a Biodiversity University will be jointly created by the two countries.

In 2025 we will celebrate the Year of Brazil in France and the Year of France in Brazil. President Lula invited President Macron to visit Brazil in the first semester of 2024, and the latter agreed to do so.

Brazil’s initiative to articulate a common position among countries harboring great tropical rainforests – Brazil, Indonesia, the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo – was also discussed, and supported by France.

We also discussed progress in negotiations between the European Union and Mercosur. The Amazon Cooperation Treaty was addressed as well. President Macron asked several interesting questions. He took great interest in this. He also expressed interest in joining the Amazon Cooperation Treaty. We will have to examine how to bring France and Amazon Cooperation Treaty countries closer together.

Collaboration between countries and, above all, the agreement between Mercosur and the European Union were discussed with European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. President Lula informed them that Brazil, as this semester’s president of Mercosur, has already communicated the position we share to the European Union during a digital conference last week.

Another digital meeting will be held this week, now that we have started – and, on September 21, a face-to-face meeting will be held in Brazil. A European delegation will go to Brazil to advance the agreement. During all these meetings, the President has reaffirmed the position of Brazil and Mercosur, especially concerning the “side letter” that was presented by the European Union, in April, imposing a series of restrictions in the environmental field. The President reiterated that this “side letter” is unacceptable in terms of impositions and sanctions on the group’s exports regarding environmental issues.

It is now essential that Mercosur countries are considered low-risk countries, and that there is no interference from legislation that could harm the group’s exports.

With Prime Minister Modi, President Lula highlighted the celebration, this year, of 75 years of diplomatic relations between Brazil and India. We also discussed bilateral trade – which is presently worth around 15 billion dollars. India is Brazil's fifth largest trading partner and the second largest in Asia.

It was also decided that high-level business meetings will be held in both countries, India and Brazil. President Lula expressed interest in bringing businesspeople closer together in the field of agribusiness and in the pharmaceutical field – and also in launching a partnership in the field of ​​aviation and space.

President Lula congratulated Prime Minister Modi on India’s great recent success regarding space research following the spacecraft it landed on the Moon a few days ago.

During the meeting with the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, President Lula congratulated the latter for joining the BRICS bloc. Possible Saudi investments in Brazil in the fields of green energy, environment, mining, infrastructure, tourism, defense and oil were also discussed.

Moreover, the two leaders discussed the situation in the Middle East, especially Palestine. Bilateral trade between Brazil and Saudi Arabia is presently around 8.2 billion dollars annually, highlighting its position as Brazil’s main trading partner in the Middle East.

Finally, I would like to mention the President’s meeting with the Prime Minister of the Netherlands. The latter is the main gateway for Brazilian products into Europe, through the Port of Rotterdam. We have a very high and extremely important trade flow with the Netherlands, worth almost 15 billion dollars. It is the fourth country among Brazil’s greatest trading partners.

The Netherlands has shown great interest in the field of ​​green hydrogen production in Pecém, Brazil – and has announced large and immediate investments of around 38 million dollars in green hydrogen production projects. Furthermore, we once again discussed the current situation across Europe. The Prime Minister of the Netherlands was accompanied by his Minister of Finance. It was also agreed that the two countries’ Finance and Foreign Affairs ministers will meet to outline a series of business initiatives in Brazil and the Netherlands.

I believe that I have covered the main aspects of the bilateral meetings with all the countries that the President had the opportunity to speak to here, and I thank you all for your attention.