Lebanese Republic

Brazil opened a Consulate in Beirut, still under the French mandate, in 1920. In 1944 the Brazilian government recognized Lebanon's independence, thus establishing diplomatic relations, and in 1946 accredited a Minister Plenipotentiary to the Lebanese government. In 1954 the Brazilian Embassy in Beirut was opened.

The first Lebanese immigrants, mostly Christians, arrived in Brazil in the 19th century. Since then, ties between Brazil and Lebanon have been strong, in particular due to the large community of Lebanese people and their descendants in Brazil, the largest in the world, estimated at around 10 million people. The current Brazilian community in Lebanon has more than 20 thousand residents.

Bilateral relations are both politically and economically significant, a process historically favored by official visits by members of the Executive Branch as well as by parliamentary delegations.

Following the two explosions at the Port of Beirut, in August 2020, there was a significant intensification in cooperation between Brazil and Lebanon. On the humanitarian side, Brazil sent to Beirut, in the aftermath of the  tragedy, a Multidisciplinary Humanitarian Assistance Mission that sought to identify, in coordination with Lebanese authorities, the most urgent post-disaster needs. Two Brazilian Air Force aircrafts transported more than six tons of humanitarian aid, and donations were delivered by a delegation led by former president Michel Temer, of Lebanese descent.

Since then, the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC) has carried out numerous other initiatives, with emphasis on  donations of rice and medicines, medical supplies and equipment to fight COVID-19 and in the context of the war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2024.

Similar to political  and consular ties, the economic relations between Brazil and Lebanon have been advancing. In December 2014, Mercosur and Lebanon signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Trade and Economic Cooperation to promote the negotiation of a free trade agreement.

Bilateral trade in 2024 totaled $ 455.2 million, the highest historical record (a 32.3% increase compared to 2023). Brazilian exports accounted for the largest part of this value ($ 445.1 million). Top Brazilian exports were sugar and molasses (24%); unroasted coffee (21%); and fresh beef (20%). Brazilian imports totaled $ 10.1 million. They consisted largely of fertilizers or chemical fertilizers (79%). The Brazilian balance was of $435 million.

Chronology of bilateral relations

2024 – Minister of Foreign Affairs  Mauro Vieira visits Lebanon

2020 – Visit of former President Michel Temer in the aftermath of the explosions at the Port of Beirut (August)

2019 – Lebanese Minister of Foreign Trade Hassan Mourad visits Brazil.

Vice President of the Republic Hamilton Mourão meets President Michel Aoun and visits frigate “União”, the flagship of the UNIFIL Maritime Task Force (FTM), in Lebanon

2018 – Minister of Foreign Affairs Aloysio Nunes Ferreira visits Lebanon

2016 – Defense Minister Raul Jungmann visits Lebanon

2015 – Minister of Foreign Affairs Mauro Vieira visits Lebanon

2014 – Minister of Foreign Affairs Gebran Bassil visits Brasília, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro

2012 – Minister of Defense Celso Amorim visits Lebanon

2011 – Opening of the Brazil-Lebanon Cultural Center. Vice President Michel Temer visits Lebanon

2010 – The  President of the Republic of Lebanon, General Michel Sleiman, makes a state visit to Brazil

2006 – Minister of Foreign Affairs Celso Amorim visits Lebanon in the context of the war between Israel and Hezbollah

2005 – Minister of Foreign Affairs Celso Amorim visits Lebanon. Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati visits Brazil. 

2003 – State Visit of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to Lebanon. Minister of Foreign Affairs Celso Amorim visits Lebanon. Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri visits Brazil

1997 – The President of the Republic of Lebanon, Elias Hraoui, visits Brazil. Minister of Foreign Affairs Luiz Felipe Lampreia visits Lebanon

1996 – The President of the Lebanese National Assembly, Nabih Berri, visits Brazil

1995 – The Prime Minister of Lebanon, Rafik Hariri, makes an official visit to Brazil

1975 – Beginning of the Civil War in Lebanon

1961 – The Embassy of Lebanon is transferred to Brasília. Opening of the Honorary Consulate of Brazil in Tripoli, which closed in 1991 and reopened in 1994

1954 – The President of the Republic of Lebanon, Camille Chamoun, makes an official visit to Brazil. Opening of the Embassy of Lebanon in Rio de Janeiro. Opening of the Embassy of Brazil in Beirut

1945 – The Consulate-General of Brazil is elevated to Legation status

1945 – Establishment of diplomatic relations following Lebanon's independence

1937 – The Consulate of Brazil becomes Consulate-General of Brazil

1920 – Opening of the Consulate of Brazil in Beirut

1880 – The first significant flow of Lebanese immigrants, mostly Christians, arrive in Brazil

1876 – Emperor D. Pedro II visits Lebanon, then part of the Ottoman Empire