[🇧🇩] Brazil---A New Friend of Bangladesh

[Saif]

PM likely to visit Brazil in July: FM​

BSS

Published :​

Apr 07, 2024 19:51

Updated :​

Apr 07, 2024 19:51

Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Sunday said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is likely to visit Brazil in July next as the visiting Brazilian foreign minister brought an invitation from the Brazilian President in this regard.

"There is an invitation by (Brazilian) President Lula to our Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and there might be a visit by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to Brazil in July next," he told reporters after holding a bilateral meeting with the visiting Brazilian foreign minister Mauro Vieira at the state guest house Jamuna this afternoon.

The foreign minister said during the meeting, they discussed a possible visit of Bangladesh's premier to the most influential South American country Brazil.

In 2023, President Lula and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina met on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in South Africa.

The Brazilian foreign minister said that his country's President hoped that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina would visit Brazil soon.

Referring to the meeting between Brazilian President Lula and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in South Africa last year, he said both the leaders had a wonderful meeting and they built very good personal relations.

Praising Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her effort in improving the quality of life of Bangladesh people, the Brazilian foreign minister said they have similar positions in many aspects, such as the fight against hunger.

"We (Brazil and Bangladesh) have similar agendas, and it allows us to develop our bilateral relations even more," he said.

Brazil is keen to continue deepening relations with Bangladesh, in favour of the development of both countries, the promotion of South-South cooperation, and the fight against poverty, hunger, and climate crisis.​

 

[Saif]

Conditions right for bilateral ties upgrade: Brazil FM

Bangladesh and Brazil's leaders similar world views and action plans set the conditions right for strengthening the bilateral ties between the countries, said Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira

www.thedailystar.net

Conditions right for bilateral ties upgrade: Brazil FM

Photo: BSS

Bangladesh and Brazil's leaders similar world views and action plans set the conditions right for strengthening the bilateral ties between the countries, said Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira.

"Considering the similarities between President Lula's [Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva] and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's world views, policies and priorities, in particular their quest for development and social justice, conditions are set for our bilateral relations for an upgrade," he said today.

Mauro Vieira said these last night while delivering a speech at a seminar titled "2024 G20: Priorities for Brazilian Presidency" organised by the foreign ministry at the Foreign Service Academy in the city.

He left Dhaka after a two-day visit to Bangladesh last night.

The visit came at a time when the bilateral trade between the two countries saw a significant rise in the aftermath of the Ukraine-Russia war. Bilateral trade between the countries reached $2.7 billion last fiscal from $1.5 billion in 2021.

Brazil is also the president of G20 this year.

Mauro Vieira during his meetings with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud and State Minister for Commerce Ahsanul Islam Titu also discussed future collaboration in the areas of agriculture, education, defence, sports, and trade.

He also talked about Bangladesh's participation in three sectors of G20 under Brazil's Presidency -- environment and climate sustainability working group; empowerment of women working group and the task force for the launching of the global alliance against poverty and hunger.

He thanked Dhaka for contributing substantially to G20 discussions.

He said his presence in Dhaka is a testimony to the importance Brazil attaches to the relations with Bangladesh, which has grown considerably in many areas.

He said Brazil has made consistent efforts to prioritise issues that are critical to the developing world.

He said the world faces profound challenges which call for equally profound reforms.

"One of the main elements justifying the need for reform is the under-representation of developing countries in food and energy prices. ... The climate crisis is one of the issues. While these crises affect us all, they do not affect us equally. Developing countries are the ones that bear the brunt of them. Even within countries, it is the poorest that always suffer the most," said Mauro Vieira.​

Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen, Sajida Foundation Chief Executive Officer Zahida Fizza Kabir and Friendship Executive Director Runa Khan also spoke.

 

[Saif]

Challenges and opportunities for Bangladesh economy in 2024

Bangladesh has demonstrated remarkable development progress in the last five decades. The country’s journey from one of the poorest countries at independence to a lower-middle-income nation within four decades is a testament to its resilience, policy decisions, and commitment to reducing pove

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Brazil thankful for Bangladesh's substantive contribution to G20 discussions: Visiting Foreign Minister
Published :
Apr 08, 2024 21:30
Updated :
Apr 08, 2024 21:30

Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira on Monday said global challenges are interconnected and can only be addressed through reinvigorated multilateralism, reforms and international cooperation.

"In that spirit, Brazil's G20 Presidency believes that the group should work towards a United Nations that is more effective in its purposes, while tackling main inequalities in its decision-making processes," he said while delivering a lecture at Foreign Service Academy on priorities for the Brazilian presidency, reports UNB.

"We are thankful for the substantive contribution that Bangladesh has been providing to G20 discussions," he said.

Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen, among others, spoke at the programme.

The visiting Foreign Minister said the international community has already proven its ability to adapt and evolve the structures of global governance in various areas.

"The G20 itself, for instance, which was consolidated in the immediate aftermath of a global financial crisis, has proven to be a valuable framework for addressing new challenges in many areas. The time has come for the G20 to make its own contribution by creating appropriate conditions for a serious discussion on the current global governance structures," he said.

As one of the global forums best placed to foster the solutions the world needs, Vieira said, the G20 can be an invaluable tool to garner further support for the necessary and overdue reform of multilateral governance.

In 52 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries, this is the first time that a Brazilian Foreign Minister is visiting Bangladesh.

"My presence in Dhaka is a testimony to the importance we attach to our relations with Bangladesh, which have grown considerably in many areas, in tandem with the extraordinary economic leapfrog that Bangladesh has been enduring in recent years," said the Brazilian Minister.

Brazil took over from India the presidency of the G20 on December 1, 2023. Under the leadership of President Lula, Brazil is proud to be the third in a sequence of four developing countries presiding over the group since 2022 (Indonesia, India, Brazil and, next year, South Africa).

In terms of priorities, Brazil has placed the topic of inequality, in all its dimensions, at the centre of the G20's agenda.

Under the motto "Building a Just World and a Sustainable Planet," President Lula defined the following three general priorities for Brazil's G20 Presidency: (1) social inclusion and the fight against hunger and poverty; (2) energy transitions and the promotion of sustainable development in its economic, social, and environmental dimensions; and (3) reform of global governance institutions.

Vieira said geopolitical tensions have recently amplified long-standing challenges. "Persistent hunger, poverty and inequality; armed conflicts with catastrophic humanitarian consequences; widespread setbacks in living standards; global inflation and debt vulnerabilities; high volatility in food and energy prices; and the climate crisis are among them."

"While these crises affect us all, they do not affect us equally. Developing countries are the ones that bear the brunt of them. Even within countries, it is the poorest that always suffer the most," he added.

Brazil believes that the G20 is a forum that is particularly well placed to foster collective solutions for global challenges.

"Due to its combined share of the world's population and GDP, as well as its diverse membership, the group has a unique and influential role to play in shaping a global agenda for a more equitable and sustainable future," he said.

To fulfil that expectation, Brazil believes that the G20 must set ambitious goals and unlock the full potential of multilateral cooperation, he added.

Brazil believes that the G20 should explore the role of economy-wide platforms and a renewed engagement of the financial sector to achieve common goals under the United Nations Framework Agreement on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Paris Agreement.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has confirmed that the world faces a climate emergency.

Vieira said humanity has only until the end of this decade to prevent the global temperature from rising beyond 1.5° Celsius above pre-industrial levels, an outcome that would bear unacceptable risks to future generations, the ecosystems and infrastructure.

Without deep and extensive transformations in the way economies are structured and financial resources are mobilised and managed, humanity will struggle to adequately respond to the dangerous threats of climate change, he said.

By bringing together the world's largest economies, which account for 3/4 of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the G20 can be a catalyst for partnerships, high-level coordination, and new policy consensus, the Brazilian Foreign Minister said.

Earlier on Monday, he met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Ganabhaban.

"I was delighted to hear from her the high esteem she has for Brazil and for President Lula, which is reciprocal," said the Brazilian Foreign Minister.

Considering the similarities between President Lula and Prime Minister Hasina's world views, policies and priorities, in particular their quest for development and social justice, conditions are set for the bilateral relations to upscale, he added.​

 

[Bilal9]

Brazil could be an excellent substitute for our industrial inputs, as we move upmarket with our apparel and other exports.

Besides beef and sugar, Brazil exports corn, soybean (oil too) and many other commodities, including cotton.

Here are the categories and their dollar value from 2023.

1. Mineral fuels including oil: US$55.1 billion (16.2% of total exports)
2. Oil seeds: $54 billion (15.9%)
3. Ores, slag, ash: $35 billion (10.3%)
4. Meat: $22 billion (6.5%)
5. Sugar, sugar confectionery: $16 billion (4.7%)
6. Cereals: $15 billion (4.4%)
7. Iron, steel: $14.6 billion (4.3%)
8. Machinery including computers: $14.1 billion (4.1%)
9. Vehicles: $12.62 billion (3.7%)
10. Food industry waste, animal fodder: $12.56 billion (3.7%)

My personal favorite of Brazilian exports is though - a technology item, the Embraer E195-E2

 

[Saif]

Thank you for the wonderful post Bangladesh could be the net beneficiary of the bilateral relation with Brazil. We can reduce our dependence on India for agricultural products if we buy from Brazil. We can also buy military hardware from them specially Transport Plane and Maritime Patrol Aircraft.

 

[Saif]

Bangladesh, Brazil agree to advance PTA talks

Breaking News, International News & Multimedia

thedailynewnation.com

Bangladesh, Brazil agree to advance PTA talks
9 Apr 2024, 12:00 am

Business Report :

Bangladesh and Brazil signed the 'Basic Agreement on Technical Cooperation (TCA)' following the bilateral meeting between foreign minister Dr Hasan Mahmoud and his visiting Brazilian counterpart Mauro Vieira.

In the meeting the Brazilian FM welcomed Bangladesh's proposal of concluding a MERCOSUR-Bangladesh Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA).

Both the ministers felt that this endeavor would enhance business opportunities and foster private sector engagements between Bangladesh, Brazil, and the other MERCOSUR State Parties, significantly contributing to the promotion of South-South Cooperation. The Ministers agreed to work toward the commencement of the process for negotiating a MERCOSUR-Bangladesh Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA), at the earliest opportunity, officials said.

The meeting dealt with a number of issues including PTA, trade and investment, BRICS, climate change and current global affairs, a briefing was told following the meeting.

Addressing the briefing the Brazilian FM said after assuming power last year, the new Brazilian government, led by President Lula, renewed interest in strengthening ties with Bangladesh.

"Our governments goals are to reduce inequalities to fight hunger and poverty and to promote the sustainable development of our societies over the past decades and under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Bangladesh has shown significant social and economic opportunities" he said.

He said in the meeting with the foreign minister and the state minister for commerce on Sunday both sides had the opportunity to explore the potential for more global collaboration in many areas such as agriculture, education, defense, exports and trade.

Mr Vieira said, "In this 52 years of diplomatic relations, it has been possible for our countries to view the relationship based on shared values of peace, friendship and cooperation".

At the same time, we need to work to facilitate trade and investment increased connectivity and diversifying the leads to more trade products.

Responding to a question he said Brazil is very positive about Bangladesh's intention to join the BRICS.

A joint statement issued after the meeting said the two ministers held productive discussions on Bangladesh-Brazil bilateral relations, international and regional initiatives, and multilateral cooperation. They agreed on the importance of increasing cooperation and exchanges in the fields of agriculture, livestock, science, technology and innovation, education, climate change and energy transition, and technical cooperation, among others.

The Ministers took note of the immense potential of business, trade promotion, and investment opportunities between Bangladesh and Brazil, and welcomed the rapid growth in trade between the two countries, which surpassed 2 billion dollars in the past two years, the joint statement said.

"The Ministers warmly welcomed the conclusion of negotiations of the MoU on Sports Cooperation, to be signed at an appropriate moment by the Bangladeshi Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Brazilian Ministry of Sports. The MoU represents a significant milestone that mirrors the enduring bond between our peoples, which has been cherished for generations".

"The Foreign Ministers reaffirmed the shared commitment of Bangladesh and Brazil to multilateralism and expressed their intent to work together towards attaining meaningful results in the UN Summit of the Future in September 2024".

The Ministers stressed the need for meaningful reform of the Global Governance, including the UN Security Council and the international financial architecture that should rely on equitable representation of developing countries in order to effectively respond to the multi-dimensional challenges faced by the world. They called for an urgent reform of the UN Security Council with its expansion in both categories of members.​

 

[Saif]

Chief adviser urges Brazil to increase cooperation with Bangladesh

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday urged Brazil to work more closely with Bangladesh to enhance bilateral cooperation in different fields, including trade. The Chief Adviser made the call when Brazilian Ambassador to Bangladesh Paulo Feres called on him at his office, a spokesman

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Chief adviser urges Brazil to increase cooperation with Bangladesh
FE ONLINE REPORT
Published :
Nov 06, 2024 20:39
Updated :
Nov 06, 2024 20:39

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday urged Brazil to work more closely with Bangladesh to enhance bilateral cooperation in different fields, including trade.

The Chief Adviser made the call when Brazilian Ambassador to Bangladesh Paulo Feres called on him at his office, a spokesman of the CA Office said.

Ambassador Feres told the Chief Adviser that Brazil and Bangladesh have many areas of cooperation unexplored, which can be potentially a boom for the two countries.

"We have 2.6 billion dollars of trade now in our favour. We want to make it balanced by increasing imports from Bangladesh," he said.

Brazil currently exports sugar, soya beans, and raw cotton, among other items, to Bangladesh while it imports some garment items from the country amounting to around 300 million dollars annually.

Ambassador Feres said, Brazil can also export meat to Bangladesh without affecting the local market, and it can be a good source of protein for Bangladeshi people.

He also identified green energy, education, defence, agriculture, and science as potential areas of cooperation.

"Let's work together to explore more opportunities," the chief adviser told the envoy.

Ambassador Feres noted that Bangladesh's commitment to the Global Alliance to Poverty and Hunger, adding that Brazil remained appreciative that Bangladesh was the first country to formalise the process of accession to the Alliance.

The chief adviser requested Brazil to send a delegation to the upcoming youth festival here in January in Bangladesh.​