CAIRO: Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Wednesday arrived in Cairo on his two-day visit to Egypt.
During his trip, he will meet with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi and will sign bilateral agreements. Moreover, President Lula is scheduled to visit the headquarters of the League of Arab States.
This is the second official trip to the African continent during President Lula’s third term. In August of last year, he toured three other countries: South Africa, Angola, and São Tomé and Príncipe.
During his visit, President Lula is expected to tackle a range of issues, including combating inequality and hunger, addressing energy transition and climate change, advocating for international institution reform, and fostering trade between Brazil and African nations. His itinerary also includes a stopover in Ethiopia.
Diplomatic Relations Between Brazil and Egypt
The trip to Cairo commemorates 100 years of diplomatic relations between Brazil and Egypt. Egypt currently stands as Brazil’s second-largest trading partner in Africa, trailing only Algeria.
In 2023, bilateral trade between the two nations reached $2.8 billion, with Brazil importing $489 million worth of Egyptian products and exporting $1.83 billion in Brazilian goods. The Brazilian government anticipates a surge in trade following Egypt’s opening of its market to various Brazilian products in 2023, including fish, poultry, cotton, bananas, gelatine, and collagen. Discussions will also revolve around the approval of additional Brazilian meatpacking plants for beef exports and the establishment of a direct air route between São Paulo and Cairo.
Moreover, Egypt’s recent inclusion in the BRICS and its participation in the G20 under Brazil’s presidency signify the deepening of bilateral cooperation.
Brazilian President to Visit Ethiopia
Later on Thursday, President Lula’s delegation will depart for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital, where he will attend the Summit of Heads of State and Government of the African Union as a guest on February 16 and 17. Bilateral meetings are also on the agenda, with the presence of UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas expected at the summit.
