Minister Mauro Vieira’s official visit to Indonesia – October 9, 2023

Minister Mauro Vieria made an official visit to Indonesia on October 9. During his meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi, they discussed key topics of the bilateral agenda, with a particular focus on trade and investments, market access to agricultural products, cooperation in renewable energy, defense, environment, climate change, food security, nutritional safety, science, and technology and innovation. Additionally, the ministers addressed Brazil’s cooperation to the process of relocating Indonesia’s capital to Nusantara, drawing on Brazil's experience with the construction of Brasília and the relocation of the capital.

In 2022, Indonesia held the G20 presidency, and in the current year it will chair the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Brasil will assume the G20 presidency in December, while currently holding the pro tempore presidency of MERCOSUR.

Minister Mauro Vieira signed the 2023-2026 Strategic Partnership Action Plan Review. Established in 2008, it is the only partnership between Brazil and a Southeast Asian country.

Minister Mauro Vieira also presided over the Ethanol Talks seminar, along with Indonesia’s Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Arifin Tasrif. This seminar was organized by Brazil's Sugarcane and Bioenergy Industry Alliance (ÚNICA) and Local Alcohol Production Arrangement (APLA), with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil. The Ethanol Talks seminar aims to provide energy transition solutions based on sustainable biofuels, such as ethanol.

During the 1st Brazil-ASEAN Trilateral Meeting, Minister Mauro Vieira, Minister Retno Marsudi, who leads ASEAN's rotating presidency, and Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, the Secretary-General of the Association, established the Sectorial Dialogue Partnership between Brazil and ASEAN. They discussed how countries from the Global South can work together to advance common priorities, including energy and bioenergy transition, environment, science, technology and innovation, food and nutrition security, and trade. The Minister also inaugurated the Brazilian Mission to ASEAN.

Over the past 20 years, trade with Southeast Asia has grown more than tenfold, from $2.9 billion in 2002 to $34 billion last year. The current trade exchange with ASEAN contributes to nearly a quarter of Brazil's trade balance surplus.