PUTRAJAYA: Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has extended an invitation to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to attend the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, according to Wisma Putra in a statement on Sunday.
The invitation was extended during a courtesy call by Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira to Prime Minister at Seri Perdana, where they discussed the long-standing bilateral ties between Malaysia and Brazil.
The G20 Summit is scheduled to take place from Nov 18 to 19 this year.
Wisma Putra said that during the courtesy call, Anwar also reiterated Malaysia’s aspiration to join BRICS in which Vieira welcomed Malaysia’s application and assured the prime minister of Brazil’s support.
It mentioned that both sides also touched on current global developments including the situation in Gaza, Myanmar and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Vieira’s two-day official visit to Malaysia, from Aug 24 to 25, marks his first visit to the country as foreign minister since assuming the role on Jan 1, 2023.
Furthermore, the statement also noted that Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan held a bilateral meeting with his Brazilian counterpart Vieira in Wisma Putra on Sunday, where they reviewed and discussed existing bilateral cooperation between Malaysia and Brazil.
It said that the meeting covered a range of topics, including trade and investment; semiconductors; agriculture; science, technology and innovation; people-to-people ties and capacity building, as well as the exchange of high-level visits.
It said both foreign ministers also explored strengthening cooperation through regional and multilateral platforms, including ASEAN, BRICS, the G20 or Group of 20 and under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
“Views were also exchanged on the situation in Gaza and the Russia-Ukraine conflict,” read the statement.
It noted that the overall visit has provided new impetus for Malaysia-Brazil relations, which were established 65 years ago in 1959, as both countries work to strengthen their cooperation.
Brazil continues to be Malaysia’s second-largest trading partner in the Latin American region. In 2023, the total trade between Malaysia and Brazil was valued at RM17.46 billion (US$4 billion), an increase of four per cent from RM16.86 billion (US$3.85 billion) recorded in 2022.
