Japan-Brazil Relations
Japan-Brazil Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue
January 9, 2023
On January 9, commencing at 10:30 (local time; 22:30 on January 10 JST) for approximately 160 minutes, Mr. HAYASHI Yoshimasa, Minister for Foreign Affairs, who is visiting Brasilia, Brazil, held a Japan-Brazil Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue, which was established on the basis of the “Joint Statement on the Establishment of the Strategic and Global Partnership between Japan and Brazil” in 2014, with H.E. Mr. Mauro Vieira, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federative Republic of Brazil. The overview is as follows.
- At the outset, Minister Hayashi congratulated Minister Vieira on his new appointment, and stated that he was pleased to meet Minister Vieira face-to-face on his first visit to Brazil as Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan. Regarding the protests in Brasilia on 8th, he expressed his support to democratically elected President Lula and his new administration of Brazil, a country with mature democracy, while stating that the threat to democracy by violence should not be tolerated. He also conveyed his condolences for the passing of former soccer player Pele. In response, Minister Vieira welcomed Minister Hayashi's visit to Brazil and expressed his desire to strengthen bilateral relations further through Minister Hayashi’s visit as well as his gratitude for Minister Hayashi’s condolences for the passing of Mr. Pele. Moreover, Minister Hayashi extended invitations to President Lula and Minister Vieira to Japan. Minister Vieira also conveyed invitations to Prime Minister Kishida and Minister Hayashi to Brazil, while stating that it was a great pity that Minister Hayashi could not meet President Lula due to his agenda regarding protests.
- Minister Hayashi expressed his desire to work under the severe international situation together with Brazil as a "strategic global partner" that shares fundamental values, and to further invigorate high-level mutual exchanges between the two countries.
Minister Hayashi also stated that economic relations between the two countries have great potential, expressing his willingness to cooperate in the areas of food, energy, and mineral resources. Furthermore, he stated that Japan expects that the new administration will improve the business environment further, including tax system, and that, as a result, Japanese companies will expand their investment in Brazil. - Minister Hayashi expressed his desire to deepen cooperation with Brazil in the environmental field, on which President Lula attaches great importance, as well as in health and sanitation areas, and to make progress in triangular cooperation. In addition, he also mentioned the cooperation, among others, in the criminal and judicial fields.
- In response, Minister Vieira expressed his desire to strengthen friendly relations with Japan further under the new administration. He stated that Brazil is working to improve its business environment and that he looks forward to increases in investment from Japanese companies and bilateral trade. He also expressed his gratitude for Japan's cooperation, and expressed his willingness to stimulate dialogue between the two countries and to continue to promote cooperation in a wide range of areas.
- The two ministers exchanged views on the situations in Ukraine and East Asia, and concurred on their intention to work together to maintain and strengthen a free and open international order based on the rule of law. Minister Hayashi requested understanding and cooperation for the early resolution of the abduction issue. The two ministers also affirmed their willingness to work together both inside and outside the Security Council as the G4 members as both countries serve as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council this year.
- Furthermore, both sides shared the recognition that the Nikkei community in Brazil, which is the largest in the world, and the Brazilian community in Japan are important bridges between the two countries, and affirmed their enhanced cooperation through Nikkei. In this regard, Minister Hayashi announced that the Government of Japan decided to provide grant assistance of 640 million yen to support Nikkei groups in Latin America, including Brazil, such as agricultural cooperatives and medical organizations.
- After the meeting, in the presence of the two ministers, Mr. Hayashi Teiji, Ambassador of Japan to Brazil, and Mr. Ruy Pereira, Director of the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC), signed the Supplementary Agreement for the "Project for Enhancing the Enhancement of the Genomic Monitoring Network for COVID-19".