Brazilian President Lula departs Malaysia after attending 47th ASEAN Summit as BRICS chair, voicing support for Malaysia’s BRICS membership aspirations.
SEPANG: Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva departed for home today following his three-day official visit to Malaysia as the ASEAN Chair’s guest during the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits.
The special aircraft carrying President Lula took off at 8.15 am after a ceremonial send-off featuring a 28-member guard of honour from the First Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment.
Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani represented Malaysia at the Bunga Raya Complex of Kuala Lumpur International Airport to bid farewell to the Brazilian delegation.
This visit marked President Lula’s first official trip to Malaysia since beginning his new presidential term in January 2023.
President Lula expressed strong support yesterday for Malaysia’s ambition to join the BRICS bloc as a full member.
He characterised Malaysia as a natural partner sharing common values and possessing significant economic growth potential.
Malaysia gained recognition on October 24, 2024, as one of thirteen nations officially designated as BRICS partner countries within the bloc representing one-fifth of global trade.
BRICS originally represented the emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
President Lula made history as the first Brazilian president to attend an ASEAN Summit following Brazil’s 2022 designation as an ASEAN sectoral dialogue partner.
He affirmed Brazil’s commitment as South America’s largest nation to collaborate with all countries in fostering global engagement and cooperation during this period of international realignment.
President Lula specifically rejected geopolitical polarization while advocating for enhanced international cooperation.
The Brazilian leader noted that bilateral trade between Brazil and its key partners, including Malaysia, remains relatively modest at approximately 12 billion US dollars given these markets’ economic strength.
Brazil served as Malaysia’s second-largest Latin American trading partner in 2024 with total bilateral trade reaching 20.36 billion ringgit.
Malaysia hosted more than thirty world leaders during the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits from October 26 to today.
Leaders from ASEAN nations joined counterparts from the United States, China, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa to strengthen cooperation and address shared regional and global challenges. – Bernama
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