Lula states that the alliance between the two countries strengthens the Global South and creates an alternative in a polarized scenario between the USA and China
Foto: Ricardo Stuckert / PR
During a visit to India, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) stated this Saturday (21) that the partnership with the Asian country will “strengthen the Global South”. The speech, delivered after a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reinforces the commitment to expanding investments and cooperation between nations and highlights a bilateral agreement on critical minerals and rare earths.
“As a response to trade unilateralism, both Mercosur and India recently concluded free trade agreements with the European Union”, added the Brazilian. The multilateral effort tries to guarantee space in the midst of a polarized scenario between the powers of the United States and China.
Lula also said that the alliance between it is the meeting of the pharmacy and the breadbasket of the world. “We are megadiverse countries and centers of the cultural industry. We are both defenders of multilateralism and peace”, he comments.
This “tuning” resulted in the signing of several cooperation agreements between countries in a meeting between Lula and Modiafter the Brazilian participated in the Summit on the Impact of Artificial Intelligence, in New Delhi.
“India’s notable evolution in cutting-edge sectors, such as information technology, artificial intelligence, biotechnology and space exploration, creates many opportunities for cooperation with Brazil,” stated Lula. “THE Digital Partnership for the Future with India translates our commitment to an agenda that puts technology at the service of inclusive development”, he adds
In addition to the agreement on critical minerals, he highlighted the importance of the Global Alliance for Biofuels in the climate agenda. The initiative, led by Brazil, India, Japan and Italy, seeks to obtain political commitment from other countries in order to quadruple the use of sustainable fuels globally.
During his speech, the president also highlighted the importance of the two countries’ health industrial complexes and their efforts to defend access to medicines. “FioCruz signed agreements for research and local production of strategic inputs, such as the tuberculosis vaccine and oncology medicines, immunosuppressants and medicines for neglected and rare diseases”.
The statement also cited the opening of the Embraer office in New Delhi as a positive example of collaboration in the area of defense. It also mentioned the agreement to extend the validity of tourist and business visas from five to ten years with the purpose of increasing the flow of people between the two countries. “A turbulent global scenario demands that our countries deepen their dialogue”, stated the Brazilian president.
The accumulation of partnerships, in Lula’s view, can contribute to revisiting the goal of financial exchange between Brazil and India. Brazil is India’s largest trading partner in Latin America and, last year, the two countries set a target of US$20 billion for bilateral trade.
In 2025, bilateral flow exceeded 15 billion dollars for the first time in history, an increase of 25% compared to 2024. “We are advancing so quickly that we should revisit our objective to reach 30 billion dollars in exchange,” says the Brazilian president.
Finally, Lula’s speech highlights that this cooperation indicates a path towards a more peaceful world. “Prime Minister Modi and I spoke at length about persevering on the path to Peace. There is no possibility of sustainable and fair development in a world in conflict.”
“We support efforts to end the war in Ukraine. It is equally urgent to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people. Brazil vehemently repudiated the attacks in Kashmir. We know that terrorism cannot be confused with the public security challenges that many countries face”, he states. “The only wars that humanity must fight are those against hunger, poverty and environmental degradation.”
President’s Agenda
Lula has been in India since Wednesday (18), and will remain in the country until this Saturday, 21. The Artificial Intelligence Impact Summit takes place in New Delhi and brings together world leaders such as the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, and António Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations, as well as businesspeople from the sector, such as Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, and Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google.
Throughout the day, the Brazilian president will participate in a meeting with Indian investors and a dinner hosted by Modi. On Sunday (22), Lula leaves for South Korea, where he must sign a three-year action plan to strengthen relations between the countries.
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