Lula Arrives in Berlin for Historic Brazil-Germany Diplomatic Discussions After 8-Year Hiatus

04 Dec, 2023

Lula Arrives in Berlin for Historic Brazil-Germany Diplomatic Discussions After 8-Year Hiatus

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva embarked on a significant diplomatic mission, landing in Berlin for the first round of Brazilian-German government consultations in eight years. This marks a crucial effort by the leaders of Latin America and Europe's largest economies to revitalize their diplomatic relations.

Since reassuming office in January, Lula has been actively working to restore Brazil's international standing, which faced a period of isolation under his predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro. The Brazilian leader is scheduled to have a dinner meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz before the consultations on Monday.

Chancellor Scholz, who visited Lula in Brazil shortly after his inauguration, has been dedicated to enhancing Germany's ties with the Global South since assuming office in late 2021. The leaders aim to strengthen trade relations between their countries, with Germany viewing Brazil as a crucial partner to diversify its trade and address labor shortages.

Both nations are advocating for a swift trade deal between the European Union and Mercosur, the major South American trading bloc currently presided over by Brazil. Despite a preliminary agreement in 2019, negotiations were prolonged due to additional environmental commitments requested by the EU.

The German economy ministry expressed support for the swift conclusion of the trade agreement, highlighting the potential benefits for the export-oriented German economy.

While German exports to Brazil have seen modest growth, Scholz hopes to avoid any overshadowing issues during this diplomatic engagement, such as those arising from differences over geopolitical conflicts. Lula's recent comments on the Israel-Hamas conflict could potentially lead to divergent views during the upcoming news conference. Last month, Lula characterized Israel's actions as "committing terrorism," while Scholz has consistently supported Israel's right to defend itself.