Official Visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Toshimitsu Motegi, to Brazil

On January 8, 2021 the Foreign Minister of Japan, Toshimitsu Motegi, made an official visit to Brasilia, consolidating the excellent moment in bilateral relations and giving renewed dynamism to the Brazil-Japan Strategic and Global Partnership. 

Both countries share values and principles, such as the respect for fundamental freedoms, the peaceful settlement of disputes and the observance of international law, as well as the commitment to democracy, free trade and the market economy. Brazil is home to the largest population of Japanese origin outside Japan – over 2 million people – and in Japan resides the 3rd largest community of Brazilians abroad – over 210 thousand nationals.

After being hosted by the President of the Republic, Jair Bolsonaro, Minister Toshimitsu Motegi met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ernesto Araújo. On that occasion, they agreed to work on a new post-Pandemic trajectory and to give new impetus to trade and investment between the two countries. Japan being the 6th largest foreign investor in Brazil, with an investment stock of about US$ 25 billion, Minister Motegi learned about the opportunities presented today for Japanese investments in Brazilian infrastructure and logistics projects. They also agreed to deepen bilateral cooperation in the areas of science, technology and innovation and environment, among others, including in light of the agreements signed during the visit. They also agreed to expand coordination in multilateral forums, such as the UN (we are part of the G4, together with Germany and India), the WTO, the G-20 and the OECD, in defense of democratic values and fundamental freedoms.

During the visit, 4 international treaties were signed: Memorandum of Cooperation in the Field of Technologies Related to the Production and Use of Niobium and Graphene, Tomé-Açu Memorandum of Cooperation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federative Republic of Brazil and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan on the Sustainable Use of the Biodiversity of the Amazon, Complementary Adjustment by Exchange of Notes for a Project for the Development of Sensors and a Platform for Precision Agriculture in Support of Sustainable Brazilian Agriculture, and Complementary Adjustment by Exchange of Notes for a Project for improving control of illegal deforestation through advanced SAR and AI technologies in the Brazilian Amazon.