State visit of the President of the Republic of Italy, Sergio Mattarella

In Brasilia, President Mattarella will hold a work meeting with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The two heads of state will analyze the state of bilateral relations and will exchange evaluations regarding the regional and global contexts, including the dialogue between the Brazilian G20 presidency and the Italian presidency of the G7; the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty; and the institutional reform of global governance. 

President Mattarella will also visit the cities of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Salvador, as well as the state of Rio Grande do Sul.

Elevated to the status of strategic partnership in 2007, the relationship with Italy is traditional and is grounded in a wide range of affinities and interests. There are currently more than 35 million people of Italian descent in Brazil and over 100,000 Brazilians in Italy.

President Mattarella’s visit takes place during celebration of the 150^th anniversary of Italian immigration to Brazil. It is expected to highlight the depth and breadth of the Brazil-Italy relations.

Italy is one of the main providers of direct investments from the European Union to Brazil. Over one thousand Italian companies operate in the country, generating around 150,000 jobs.

During the visit, the Agreement on the Reciprocal Recognition of Driver's Licenses, which is of significant interest to the Brazilian community in Italy and the Italian community in Brazil, is expected to be signed. Additionally, memorandums of understanding are scheduled to be signed between the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária/Embrapa) and the University of Turin, as well as between that Italian University and the University of São Paulo.