On Friday 19 September, Brazil’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mauro Vieira, spoke of bilateral work in progress with a view to holding an EU/Brazil summit “at the end of this year or in the first quarter of 2026”.
Mr Vieira, who was receiving the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, in Brasilia, praised the “densification” of bilateral relations since President Lula’s return to power, describing “multilateralism and the rule of law” as shared concerns.
The last EU/Brazil summit was held in February 2014 in Brussels (see EUROPE 11025/5).
Mercosur. With regard to the EU/Mercosur trade agreement, Mr Vieira indicated that the text of the agreement had been sent to the Mercosur countries. He said he was “optimistic” about the possibility of translating the agreement into the required languages, with a view to signing it at the Mercosur summit in Brazil in December.
The High Representative, on her first official visit to Latin America, also emphasised the strength and variety of the bilateral strategic partnership. “With tariffs and protectionism on the rise, Brazil and the EU are choosing a different path: to trade and invest more”, she said, noting that European companies account for “nearly 40% of the investment stocks in Brazil, ahead of the United States and far ahead of China”. She also praised the “momentum” generated by the EU/Mercosur trade agreement, which aims to create “the world’s largest free trade area”.
In 2026, there will be an EU/Brazil investment forum and another specifically for the digital sector. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)