President Lee: Korea and Brazil Adopt "Four-Year Action Plan," Upgrade Ties to Strategic Partnership

Joint Press Announcement from Korea-Brazil Summit
10 Agreements and MOUs Signed on Trade and Other Areas
New High-Level Economic Committee and Vice-Ministerial Dialogue Channel Established
Cooperation to Expand into Future Industries such as Space and Defense Industry

President Lee Jaemyung and President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil are holding a joint press announcement at Cheong Wa Dae on the 23rd. Yonhap News Agency

President Lee Jaemyung and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva agreed at their summit to upgrade bilateral relations to a "strategic partnership." They also adopted the "Korea-Brazil Four-Year Action Plan" and agreed to strengthen substantive cooperation in areas such as politics, the economy, and people-to-people exchanges. In particular, the two countries signed 10 agreements and memorandums of understanding (MOUs), including the establishment of a high-level Economic and Trade Relations Committee and the launch of new economic and financial dialogue channels.

At a joint press announcement with President Lula at Cheong Wa Dae on the 23rd, President Lee stated, "We have decided to upgrade our bilateral relations to a 'strategic partnership' based on our solid cooperative relationship." President Lee said, "Korea and Brazil have long worked closely together, overcoming the geographical limitation of being on opposite sides of the globe, on the basis of a mutually complementary economic structure," and added, "our annual trade has exceeded 10 billion dollars over the past five years," noting that "cooperation is steadily expanding into future promising sectors such as space, bio and pharmaceuticals, and the cultural industry."

Regarding the "Korea-Brazil Four-Year Action Plan," President Lee emphasized that it is "a roadmap that will guide bilateral relations across comprehensive areas including politics, the economy, practical cooperation, and people-to-people exchanges." President Lee also pointed out that Brazil is a key member of the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) and urged, "There is a need to swiftly resume negotiations for a trade agreement between Korea and Mercosur." He said that President Lula also shared the view that concluding a trade agreement is an urgent task.

President Lee Jaemyung and his wife and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his wife are posing for a commemorative photo at the Blue House on the 23rd after the official welcoming ceremony for the state visit. Yonhap News

In addition, taking this summit as an opportunity, the two countries decided to establish an "implementation framework" for substantive cooperation in each sector and signed 10 MOUs and agreements. President Lee said the "MOU on SME Cooperation" will "serve as an opportunity to expand trade and investment between the two countries, which had been led mainly by large corporations, to small and medium-sized enterprises as well." He also explained that, through the "MOU on Regulatory Cooperation in the Health Sector," "K-beauty products, which are gaining popularity in Brazil, will be loved by even more Brazilian people."

In the agricultural sector, the two sides signed three MOUs. President Lee said, "Cooperation with Brazil, a major agricultural power and a country with advanced agricultural technologies, is a very important task for the Republic of Korea's food security," and added, "We will strengthen cooperation on next-generation agricultural technologies so that the rural economies of both countries can develop in a mutually beneficial and sustainable way."

Cooperation in future industries such as space, defense, and aviation was also on the agenda. President Lee noted, "The attempt last December to launch Hanbit-Nano, Korea's first commercial launch vehicle, from Brazil's Alcantara Space Center is an important asset in space cooperation between our two countries," and expressed hope by saying, "I expect that we will surely succeed in the launch in the not-too-distant future." On aviation, he said, "Supply chain cooperation is underway in a way that our component companies participate in the production of Brazilian transport aircraft," and expressed confidence that "we will move toward a higher level of cooperation, including the joint development of next-generation commercial aircraft."

President Lee Jaemyung is guiding President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to the next location during the official state welcome ceremony at the Blue House on the 23rd. Yonhap News

On international issues, the two leaders emphasized expanding cooperation as leaders of the Global South. President Lee assessed that Brazil is leading global agendas such as responding to climate change and restoring multilateralism, and, regarding peace on the Korean Peninsula, said, "A state in which there is no need to fight, peace itself, is difficult to achieve but is the strongest form of security." He went on to say that he had explained to President Lula his "firm determination to resume inter-Korean dialogue and cooperation and to open a future of peaceful coexistence and shared growth."

He also presented ways to expand people-to-people exchanges. President Lee said that "the number of Brazilian visitors to Korea increased by more than 25% last year," mentioned the spread of K-culture, and pledged to promote cooperation in content such as expanding the dissemination of the Korean language in Brazil, increasing exchanges of students, and jointly producing films and video content.

Meanwhile, President Lee praised President Lula's policy line of pursuing poverty eradication and economic development together as "a role model for inclusive growth," and assessed that it "aligns with the core vision of our government." In this regard, President Lee proposed that the two countries jointly study policies that can create synergies between welfare and the economy.

Lastly, President Lee expressed his wish that "we can continue our discussions in an even more constructive manner," and concluded his remarks in Portuguese, which is used in Brazil, by saying "Muito Obrigado (Thank you)."