The Russian side was represented at the meeting by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Maxim Oreshkin, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office – Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov, Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council Konstantin Kosachev, Deputy Speaker of the State Duma, Special Presidential Representative for Interaction with Organisations of Compatriots Abroad Alexander Babakov, Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov, Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov, Special Presidential Representative for Investment and Economic Cooperation with Foreign Countries, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund Kirill Dmitriev, Chairman of the Russian Fertiliser Producers Association, Chairman of the Russia–Brazil Business Council Andrei Guryev, and Director General of the State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom Alexei Likhachev.
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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr President,
Friends,
I am genuinely happy to have our meeting, Mr President. We have not met for a long time, indeed. You were about to visit Moscow but were unable to come due to the pressure of work, and I sincerely greet you in Russia. Welcome!
I have warm memories of our previous conversations both in Russia and in Brazil. They were held in a very friendly atmosphere and in a business-like manner. We managed to significantly improve relations between our nations largely thanks to our personal contacts.
As I have already mentioned, it has been long since you last came to Russia which was 15 years ago. Back then, in 2010, your visit was also in May, and a joint Statement was adopted on the 65th anniversary of the end of World War II. Victory Day will always carry a special significance for our peoples who were fighting against Nazism. We are well aware that Brazil was among those who joined the anti-Hitler coalition. Your military units took part in combat activities in Italy and defended communication routes in the southern Atlantic thus contributing to our joint victory over the enemy. I know that Brazil, as much as Russia, honours the memory of those events and pays tribute to the feat of the victors.
I would like to point out that our relations are progressing steadfastly, and high-level contact is being maintained. You always see the way to personally receive Russian representatives whenever they arrive in Brazil on working visits.
Our bilateral trade is moving ahead. I want to stress that Brazil accounts for the largest share of our trade with Latin America and the Caribbean.
Russia is still the biggest exporter of petroleum products and mineral fertilisers to Brazil while your country maintains leading positions in the Russian food imports.
We are closely cooperating on the international arena, and we will revisit this topic later. This cooperation includes such venues as the UN, BRICS and G20.
I am happy to have this opportunity to discuss with you, Mr President, these and other issues which are definitely of interest to both parties.
Thank you.
President of Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (retranslated): Mr President,
First and foremost, I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the warm welcome extended to me and my delegation, especially at such a significant moment for you.
Some members of our delegation are visiting Russia for the first time, and I would like to introduce my delegation to you. I would also like to note that this is my first visit in 15 years.
In many ways, this visit marks the realisation of the vision we have been nurturing over the past 15 years. I will always remember the thoughtful way President Putin approached our discussions, as well as the valuable dialogue between our foreign ministers – Mr Mauro and Mr Lavrov. We are addressing issues of great significance to both our nations.
We are living in very challenging times. Much of what we hoped would follow the Second World War, such as the strengthening of multilateralism, an enhanced role for the United Nations, and the expansion of free trade, was seen as essential to safeguarding lasting peace. Sadly, that vision has not yet fully materialised, and today, true peace remains elusive.
The recent decisions announced by the President of the United States, particularly in the area of tariff policy affecting all countries, undermine the principles of free trade, weaken multilateralism, and also disregard the sovereignty and dignity of independent nations. These are values we must not forget.
The purpose of my visit today is to advance the development of our strategic partnership. Brazil sees Russia as an important partner – politically, culturally, economically, and in the fields of science and technology. Likewise, Russia has many shared interests in Brazil. We are two great nations, located on opposite sides of the globe.
As part of the Global South, we now have an opportunity to strengthen our economic cooperation. Currently, our trade turnover stands at approximately US$12.5 billion, though the balance is notably in deficit for Brazil. Nevertheless, we recognise significant potential for growth in this relationship, which is precisely why we are here today.
We are keen to engage in dialogue across a broad range of areas, including military cooperation, space exploration, science, economic development, education, and – above all – energy. Accompanying me today is our Minister of Energy, as well as the Minister of Science and Technology, both ministries have signed memorandums of understanding [with their Russian counterparts]. Our delegation also includes the President of the Federal Senate, Senator Davi Alcolumbre; the Vice President of the Chamber of Deputies; and my advisor on foreign affairs, Celso Amorim, well known to you as a long-time friend. We are also joined by the Director-General of the Federal Police, and our Ambassador to Russia.
We also have among the delegation a prominent businessman who approached me in Brazil and said, “Are you going to Russia? I would like to accompany you, as I am the leading meat exporter to Russia.” I was pleased to invite Mr Fernando Queiroz to join our delegation, and I would like to take this opportunity to introduce him to you, Mr President.
To further advance our dialogue, I would now like to invite some of my ministers to speak, beginning with our Minister of Energy, who has already engaged in discussions with you. For example, we have a strong interest in exploring cooperation with Russia in the supply of small nuclear power units.
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