Brazil proposes to ‘rebuild bridges’ with Latin America, US, China and Europe, Vieira – 01/21/2023

Brazil proposes to “rebuild bridges” with Latin American and Caribbean countries and with major powers such as the United States, China and Europe, President Mauro Vieira said in an interview published this Saturday by the official Argentine news agency Télam.

“The initial instructions of the president were clear about rebuilding bridges not only with Latin America and Africa, but also with the United States, China and Europe, with equal importance and priority,” Vieira pointed out ahead of the seventh meeting. The Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) will be held in Buenos Aires next Tuesday.

The Brazilian minister explained to Delaware that “one of the first decisions” of the Lula government was to “return to CELAC,” a forum that unites the region’s 33 countries, which Brazil withdrew following President Jair Bolsonaro’s decision. Vieira said the country wants to demonstrate its “commitment to spaces for dialogue and regional agreement”.

The president supported Brazil’s decision to normalize relations with Venezuela and Cuba. “I only see the benefits,” he pointed out, confirming that the country will have an ambassador in Havana.

“Relations with Venezuela were broken during the previous government (…) This is unthinkable for our foreign policy, which always prefers dialogue beyond the final differences”, believes Vieira, “the embassy and consulate Brazil should do in Caracas”. Re-run as soon as possible”.

The Brazilian president highlighted Lula’s official visits to Argentina’s Alberto Fernandez and Uruguay’s Luis Laquel Pau on Monday. “We need to talk to Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay about the present and future of Mercosur, and make the necessary changes in the dialogue with business people in our countries,” he declared.

Established in 1991, Mercosur is facing a new crisis amid tensions with Uruguay, which began negotiations for a bilateral FTA with China without the consent of the group’s other members, who understood that the group’s internal regulations required such approval.

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© Agence France-Presse