Brazil’s President Lula In Egypt For Two-Day Official Visit

By Andreia Verdélio

On Wednesday, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva arrived in Cairo, the capital of Egypt, for a two-day visit. Official engagements begin tomorrow (Feb. 15), when he should meet with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, sign bilateral documents, and make a statement to the press. He will also visit the headquarters of the League of Arab States.

This is the president’s second official trip to the African continent in his third term. In August last year, he visited three other countries—South Africa, Angola, and São Tomé and Príncipe.

The fight against inequality and hunger, energy transition and climate change, and the reform of international institutions, as well as the expansion of trade between Brazil and African countries, are among the topics President Lula is expected to address on this trip to the continent, which also includes a visit to Ethiopia.

Egypt

The visit to Cairo celebrates 100 years of diplomatic ties between Brazil and Egypt. The nation is currently Brazil’s second largest trading partner in Africa, behind Algeria.

In 2023, bilateral trade between the countries reached $2.8 billion—with $489 million in Egyptian products imported by Brazil and $1.83 billion in Brazilian products exported. In the case of Algeria, the balance reached $4.2 billion last year.

The Brazilian government expects trade between the nations to increase in the coming years, following the opening of the Egyptian market to various Brazilian products in 2023—such as fish and fish products, poultry, cotton, bananas, gelatine, and collagen.

Soon, the African government is also expected to approve new slaughterhouses and meatpacking plants in Brazil for beef exports. The opening of an air route between the two countries, linking São Paulo to Cairo, will also be discussed.

In 2024, Egypt became a member of the BRICS, a bloc that brings together emerging economies such as Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The African country will also take part in the G20 at the invitation of the Brazilian government, which chairs the bloc of the world’s 20 largest economies until December.

Ethiopia

On Thursday evening, the Brazilian delegation will leave for Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, where President Lula should take part in the Summit of Heads of State and Government of the African Union as a guest, on February 16 and 17.

Bilateral meetings are also planned.

In addition to the Brazilian president, UN Secretary General António Guterres and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas are expected to attend the summit.