Russian Federation

Diplomatic relations between Brazil and Russia were established in 1828. The scope of the bilateral relationship expanded in the 1980s. President José Sarney made the first State visit to Russia in 1988. Since then, all Brazilian Heads of State, except Itamar Franco, made at least one visit to Russia.  

In 1997, the Brazilian-Russian High-Level Cooperation Commission (CAN), was established. CAN is a bilateral mechanism co-chaired by the Vice-President of the Republic and the Prime Minister of Russia. Its main objective is to outline the strategy and guidelines for the development of bilateral relations in the political, economic, scientific, technological and industrial areas. The Brazil-Russia Intergovernmental Commission for Economic, Commercial, Scientific and Technological Cooperation (CIC) is the operational mechanism of CAN and has ten subcommittees that oversee themes including science and technology, agriculture, energy, space cooperation, sports, and tourism. To date, seven CAN meetings and eleven CIC meetings have been held.

In 2002, relations between the two countries were elevated to strategic partnership. Since then, regular meetings have been held at the presidential and ministerial levels. Dialogue on topics of common interest was expanded, whether at the bilateral level or in international forums such as the UN, BRICS and the G20. In November 2004, President Vladimir Putin made the first visit of a Russian head of State to Brazil. In 2010, the Strategic Partnership Action Plan was signed, setting objectives, aims and guidelines for bilateral relations. Russia also hosted the first BRICS Summit in 2009, in the city of Yekaterinburg.

Russia is among the 15 largest trading partners of Brazil. Bilateral trade in 2022 amounted to $9.8 billion. Trade is complementary and mostly based on the agribusiness chain. Brazilian exports consist largely of soybeans, meat, peanuts, coffee and sugar, while fertilizers are the main Russian exports to Brazil. The two countries have a shared interest in  expanding and diversifying trade in higher value-added products, in line with the level of development of the two economies.

Russia has consulates general in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro in addition to its Embassy in Brasília.

Chronology of the Bilateral Relations

1828 – Establishment of diplomatic relations (October 3)

1876 – Private visit of Emperor Dom Pedro II to Saint Petersburg

1917 – Diplomatic relations are broken off

1945 – Re-establishment of diplomatic relations

1947 – Diplomatic relations are broken off during Eurico Gaspar Dutra's presidency

1959 – Re-establishment of trade relations during Juscelino Kubitscheck's presidency

1961 – Diplomatic relations are restored during João Goulart's presidency

1988 – President José Sarney visits the Soviet Union

1997 – The Brazilian-Russian High-Level Cooperation Commission (CAN) is created

1999 – First Meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission for Economic, Commercial, Scientific and Technological Cooperation (CIC), (Brasília, April 23-24)

2000 – First CAN Meeting (Moscow, June 21-25). Signing of the Partnership Agreement.

2001 – Second CIC Meeting (Moscow, September 25-26)

2001 – Second CAN Meeting (Brasília, December 12)

2002 – President Fernando Henrique Cardoso visits Russia.

2004 –  Vice-President José Alencar visits  Russia

2004 – Visit of President Vladimir Putin to Brazil, the first one of a Head of State from the Russian Federation. The "Technological Alliance" between the two countries is established.

2004 – Third CIC Meeting (Brasília, February 18-20)

2004 – Third CAN Meeting (Moscow, October 11-12)

2005 – President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva visits Russia (October 18)

2005 – Fourth CIC Meeting (Moscow, October 3-4)

2006 – Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov visits Brazil (December)

2006 – Fourth CAN Meeting (Brasília, April 4)

2008 – First Meeting of BRIC's Foreign Ministers, in Yekaterinburg (May)

2008 – President Dmitry Medvedev visits Brazil (November 25-26)

2008 – The Short-stay visa waiver agreement is signed.

2008 – Fifth CIC Meeting (Brasília, November 17-18)

2009 – President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva visits Russia on the occasion of the First BRIC Summit, in Yekaterinburg (June)

2010 – President Dmitry Medvedev visits Brazil (April 15-16)

2010 – President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva visits  Russia. The Strategic Partnership Action Plan is signed (May)

2010 – Sixth CIC Meeting (Brasília, October 7-8)

2011 – Vice-President Michel Temer visits Russia. The Fifth CAN Meeting (May 16) and the Seventh CIC Meeting (May 17) are held in Moscow

2012 – Meeting of the BRICS' Foreign Ministers on the sidelines of the 67th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (New York, September 26)

2012 – President Dilma Rousseff visits Russia (December 13-14)

2013 – Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev visits Brazil. The Sixth CAN Meeting is held in Brasília (February 19-21)

2013 – Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visits Brazil (Rio de Janeiro, June 11)

2013 – President Dilma Rousseff visits Russia and takes part in the G-20 Summit, in Saint Petersburg (September 5)

2013 – Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu  visits Brazil (October 16-17)

2013 – Eighth CIC Meeting (Brasília, November 8)

2013 – Foreign Minister Luiz Alberto Figueiredo Machado visits Moscow (November 20)

2014 – President Vladimir Putin visits Brazil and takes part in the 6th BRICS Summit, in Fortaleza (July 14)

2015 – President Dilma Rousseff visits Russia and takes part in the 7th BRICS Summit, in Ufa (July 9)

2015 – Vice-President Michel Temer travels to Russia. The Ninth CIC Meeting (September 14-15) and the Seventh CAN Meeting (September 16) are held in Moscow

2016 – His Holiness Kirill I, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, visits Brazil (Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, February 19-21)

2017 – The Tenth CIC Meeting  is held in Brasília (May 22)

2017 – President Michel Temer travels to Russia (June 20-21)

2019 – The President of the State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, visits Brazil (Brasília, January 1st), for the inauguration of President Jair Bolsonaro

2019 – Visit of Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov to Brazil, on the occasion of the BRICS Meeting of Foreign Ministers (Rio de Janeiro, 26 July).

2019 – President Putin visits Brazil and participates in the 11th BRICS Summit, in Brasília (November 14)

2021 – The 11th CIC Meeting is held in Brasília (October 25-26)

2021 –Minister of Foreign Affairs Carlos França visits Moscow (30 November)

2022 – President Jair Bolsonaro visits Moscow (Feberuary 16)

2022 – The Chair of the Federation Council, Valentina Matvyienko, visits Brazil (Brasília, January 1st) to attend the inauguration of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

2023 – The Chair of the Federation Council, Valentina Matvyienko, visits Brazil (Brasília, January 1st), for the inauguration of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

2023 – Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov visits Brasília (April 17)