Arab Republic of Egypt

Diplomatic relations between Brazil and Egypt were established in 1924 and gained renewed momentum following the proclamation of the Republic of Egypt in 1953, the same year in which the Brazilian Legation in Cairo was elevated to the status of Embassy. The legal framework enabling bilateral cooperation initiatives, the strengthening of political dialogue, and the intensification of trade flows was gradually developed beginning in the 1960s. The Embassy of Egypt in Brasília was opened in 1976.

In December 2003, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva became the first Brazilian Head of State to visit Egypt since Emperor Dom Pedro II’s travel to the Middle East 127 years earlier. In turn, the visit of President Mohamed Morsi to Brazil in May 2013 marked the first official visit by an Egyptian Head of State to the country. In 2024, President Lula returned to Egypt on a State Visit. That same year, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi traveled to Brazil to participate in the G20 Summit held in Rio de Janeiro.

Meetings between the foreign ministers of the two countries are frequent, the most recent being the meeting between Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira and his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdelatty, held in Cairo in December 2024.

In 2009, Brazil and Egypt established a bilateral strategic dialogue mechanism. The multifaceted nature of Egypt’s geopolitical positioning — in the Middle East, the Arab world, Africa, and the Mediterranean region — makes it a particularly important interlocutor.In 2024, the bilateral relationship was elevated to the level of a strategic partnership.

In terms of commerce, Egypt became the second extra-regional partner to sign a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with MERCOSUR, in 2010.

In 2024, Egypt was Brazil’s leading trading partner in Africa. Bilateral trade reached a record high of $4.9 billion. Brazilian exports totaled $4 billion (an increase of 73% over 2023) and imports from Egypt amounted to $900 million (a 92% increase), accounting for a Brazilian trade surplus of $3 billion. This performance positioned Egypt as Brazil’s 19th largest export destination globally. Leading Brazilian exports included corn (28%), sugar (23%), iron ore (14%), and soybeans (7.4%) while fertilizers (43%), iron and steel bars (11%), and preserved vegetables (6.6%) were the main imports.

Chronology of bilateral relations

2024 – Meeting between Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira and his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdelatty, on the sidelines of the Ministerial Conference to Enhance the Humanitarian Response in Gaza (December)

2024 – President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi visits Rio de Janeiro to attend the G20 Summit, during which the bilateral relationship was elevated to a Strategic Partnership (November)

2024 – State visit of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to Cairo (February)

2023 – Bilateral meeting between Foreign Ministers Mauro Vieira and Sameh Shoukry on the sidelines of the G20 Ministerial Meeting in New Delhi (March)

2022 –  President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva participates,  at the invitation of the Egyptian President, in the 27th Conference of the Parties (COP 27) to the UNFCCC, held in Sharm El-Sheikh (November)

2022 – Minister Flávio Rocha, Special Secretary for Strategic Affairs of the Presidency, and Minister of Agriculture Marcos Montes visit Egypt (May)

2021 – Vice President Hamilton Mourão visits Cairo  (September)

2021 –  Meeting between Foreign Ministers Carlos França and Sameh Shoukry in New York on the sidelines of the 76th UN General Assembly (September)

2021 – Videoconference meeting between Foreign Minister Ernesto Araújo and Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry (February)

2020 – The 6th Brazil-Egypt Political Consultation Meeting is held at secretary level via videoconference

2019 –  Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply, Tereza Cristina, visits Egypt (September)

2018 – Environment Minister Edson Duarte visits Sharm El-Sheikh for the 14th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (November)

2018 – Executive Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply, Eumar Novacki visits Egypt (September)

2018 – Foreign Minister Aloysio Nunes Ferreira and former Prime Minister and Special Representative of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Mr. Sherif Ismail, meet on the sidelines of the 10th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg (July)

2018 – Brazil–Egypt Political Consultation Meeting held in Cairo (April)

2018 – 1st Meeting of the Brazil–Egypt Business Council (February)

2017 – Visit to Brazil by the Egyptian Minister of Trade and Industry, Tarek Kabil, representing President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, on the occasion of the 51st MERCOSUR and Associate States Heads of State Summit (December)

2017 – Bilateral meeting between Presidents Michel Temer and Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in New York on the sidelines of the 72nd UN General Assembly (September)

2017 –  The  MERCOSUR–Egypt Free Trade Agreement enters into force  (September 1)

2014 –  Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply, Neri Geller visits Egypt (August)

2013 – President Mohamed Morsi visits Brazil (May 8–9)

2012 –  Presidents Mohamed Morsi and Dilma Rousseff meet on the sidelines of the 67th UN General Assembly (September)

2011 –  Brazil–Egypt Political Consultation Meeting  is held in Cairo (May)

2011 – Foreign Minister Antonio de Aguiar Patriota visits Egypt  (May 7–8)

2010 – Minister of Foreign Trade and Industry, Rachid Mohamed Rachid, visits Brazil. During his participation in the MERCOSUR Summit in San Juan, the   MERCOSUR–Egypt Free Trade Agreement is signed (August)

2010 –  Brazil–Egypt Political Consultation Meeting is  held in Brasília (July)

2010 – Signing of Institutional Agreement between the Egyptian Agricultural Research Center and EMBRAPA (May)

2010 –  Minister of Development, Industry and Trade, Miguel Jorge, visits Egypt (March)

2009 – Foreign Minister Celso Amorim returned to Egypt to participate in the Sharm El-Sheikh International Conference in Support of the Palestinian Economy for the Reconstruction of Gaza (March)

2009 –  Foreign Minister Celso Amorim visits Egypt

2008 – Minister of Trade and Industry, Rachid Mohamed Rachid visits Brazil  (August)

2005 –  Signing of the Executive Program for the Implementation of the Cultural and Educational Agreement

2005 –Visit to Brasília by Foreign Minister Aboul Gheit to attend the 1st Summit of South American–Arab Countries (ASPA); meeting with Foreign Minister Celso Amorim (May)

2004 – Foreign Minister Celso Amorim visits Egypt to attend, as a special guest, a session of the League of Arab States; he meetis with with Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher and Minister of Foreign Trade Youssef Boutros Ghali (May)

2003 –  Signing of Memorandum of Understanding on Visa Exemption for Holders of Diplomatic, Official, or Service Passports

2003 –  Signing of Memorandum of Understanding establishing Political Consultations

2003 – President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva visits Egypt (December)

2003 – Foreign Minister Celso Amorim visits Egypt (June)

1996 –  Signing of Memorandum of Understanding on Tourism Cooperation

1991 –  Signing of the Complementary Adjustment to the Agreement on Technical and Scientific Cooperation, concerning Cooperation in Applied Research in Agriculture and Related Fields

1991 – Foreign Minister Francisco Rezek visits Egypt

1987 –  Foreign Minister Roberto de Abreu Sodré visits Egypt

1985 – Signing of Agreement establishing the Brazil–Egypt Joint Coordination Commission

1985 –  Foreign Minister Boutros Boutros-Ghali visits Brazil

1976 –  Opening of the Egyptian Embassy in Brasília

1973 –  Signing of Agreement on Technical and Scientific Cooperation

1973 – Signing of Trade Agreement

1973 –  Foreign Minister Mário Gibson Barbosa visits Egypt

1972 –  Foreign Minister Mourad Ghaleb visits Brazil

1960 –  Signing of Cultural Agreement

1953 –  The Brazilian diplomatic mission in Cairo is elevated to Embassy status (Decree No. 32.290, February 20)

1924 –  Establishment of diplomatic relations; creation of the Brazilian Legation in Egypt at Minister Resident level (Decree No. 16.397, February 27); arrival of the Brazilian Minister Resident in Cairo (August 6)

1922 – Brazil recognizes Egypt’s independence (Decree No. 15.505, May 31)

1917 –  Brazil appoints a Minister Resident to head its diplomatic agency in Egypt, also overseeing the Consulate General (Decree No. 12.585, July 20)

1910 –  The Consul General of Brazil in Alexandria is granted political or diplomatic status for Egypt (Decree No. 2.259, September 21)

1876 – Second visit of Emperor Dom Pedro II to Egypt

1871 –  First visit of Emperor Dom Pedro II to Egypt

1863 –  Brazil appoints an honorary Consul General in Alexandria (May 31)