Brazilian President Jair Messias Bolsonaro will begin his four-day visit to India on January 24, on the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, primarily to be the chief guest at the 71st Republic Day Parade and also explore ways to boost trade and the economic ties between the India and Brazil.
On his first visit to India after assuming power in January last year, the Brazilian President will be accompanied by seven ministers, top officials and a large business delegation.
“President of Brazil Jair Messias Bolsonaro will be paying a state visit to India from January 24-27 at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He will be the chief guest at India’s 71st Republic Day Parade on January 26,” the External Affairs Ministry said in an official release.
“This visit is expected to further enhance and strengthen the multi-faceted ties between India-Brazil,” the ministry said. During the visit, the two leaders will hold bilateral talks followed by joint press statements on Saturday.
The last presidential visit from Brazil was by President Michel Temer in October 2016 on the sidelines of the eighth BRICS summit in Goa. Narendra Modi visited Brazil in November to attend the eleventh BRICS Summit.
India-Brazil ties have been on an upswing ever since Modi has come to power.
The volume of bilateral trade was USD 8.2 billion in 2018-19. This included USD 3.8 billion worth of Indian exports to Brazil and USD 4.4 million as imports by India. Both the governments feel there is huge potential to enhance the bilateral trade further.
Moreover, Indian investments in Brazil were around USD 6 billion and Brazilian investments in India are estimated at USD 1 billion in 2018.
With this presidential visit, India and Brazil aim at reviving the “strategic partnership” by formulating an action plan which will restart the joint commission at foreign ministerial level that is supposed to meet every two years.
A senior diplomat in the Embassy of Brazil in New Delhi said: “Most importantly in terms of diplomacy, an action plan for the strategic partnership will guide our work in the following years. The last time the joint commission met was in 2015.” The two sides are set to sign agreements and MoUs in various fields.
“India and Brazil share a close and multifaceted relationship. Our bilateral relations are based on a common global vision, shared democratic values, and a commitment to foster the economic growth of both countries. Bilateral relations were elevated to a strategic partnership in 2006, heralding a new phase in India-Brazil relations,” said a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
On Saturday, President Ram Nath Kovind will hold talks with Bolsonaro and will also host a banquet for him. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will also call on Bolsonaro.
On January 27, Bolsonaro will address a group of Indian and Brazilian business leaders at the India-Brazil Business Forum, according to the MEA.
Following is the list of deals and action plan the two countries seek to discuss and hold in these four days:
- Leader’s Joint Statement
- Investment Cooperation and Facilitation Treaty
- Agreement on Social Security
- MoU on Cooperation on Bioenergy
- MoU for Cooperation in the Field of Oil and Natural gas
- Cultural Exchange Programme 2020-2023
- MoU on Cooperation in the area of Cyber Security
- MoU on Cooperation in Field of Geology and Mineral Resources
- Cooperation Programme on Science and Technology
- MoU for technical and scientific cooperation between UEPG, Fundação Auracária and the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC)
- MoU to Establish Nodal Institution in India to Conduct Bioenergy Research
- Protocol Amending the Convention for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income, signed at New Delhi on 26 April 1988
- Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty on Criminal Matters
- MoU on Cooperation in the Field of Health and Medicine
- MoU on Traditional Medicine and Homeopathy
- MoU between APEX Brasil and Invest India
According to reports, the two countries along with having extensive discussions on food security, energy security, agriculture, defence and investment, will also focus on talks regarding converting ethanol into energy and boosting the tradition oil and gas trade.
