The governments of Japan and Brazil have agreed to regularize mutual visits between their heads of state and to establish strategic dialogues between their foreign ministers.
Brazilian President Luiz In?cio Lula da Silva (left) and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba are embracing during a meeting in Tokyo on the 26th. Photo by EPA Yonhap News
According to local media including the Asahi Shimbun on the 27th, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba held a summit the previous day with Brazilian President Luiz In?cio Lula da Silva, who was on a state visit to Japan, and adopted a five-year action plan with these provisions.
The regularization of mutual visits means that the two heads of state will visit each other alternately every two years. Additionally, the two countries agreed to upgrade their foreign ministers' meetings to "Strategic Dialogue of Foreign Ministers" and to establish a dialogue framework between their diplomatic and defense authorities.
Prime Minister Ishiba, while discussing situations in Ukraine and the Middle East, stated, "Attempts to unilaterally change the current state through force or coercion must not be tolerated anywhere in the world."
He added, "Based on an action plan covering a wide range of fields including diplomacy, security, trade, and climate change, we aim to further strengthen relations with Brazil." He also said, "Cooperation with Brazil is essential to lead a world that is caught in confrontation and division."
President Lula also said, "Confirming the importance of the values of democracy, multilateralism, and free trade will be a key for the development of both sides." At a joint press conference after the summit, he said, "I would like to start negotiations on a trade agreement between the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) and Japan."
President Lula was on a state visit to Japan from the 24th until this day. This is the first state visit by a foreign head of state to Japan in about six years since U.S. President Donald Trump in May 2019.
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