Bilateral Relations

Publicado em 31/10/2022 11h16 Atualizado em 07/06/2023 08h20

The relationship between Brazil and Finland is quite positive. Brazil’s importance to Finnish diplomacy has been confirmed in speeches of the highest authorities of the country. In 2013, Finland's Latin America and Caribbean Action Plan described Brazil as “one of the gears of the world economy” and as a “relevant actor” in international politics since the 2000s.

Cooperation in science, technology and innovation is one of the main axes of the bilateral relations between the countries. With an economy focused on the generation of knowledge and innovation, Finland contributes to the Brazilian effort of promoting research, in coordination with the productive sectors, to achieve a new level of competitiveness.

With an educational system recognized for its excellency, Finland is a relevant partner in academic cooperation. Given the quality of its basic education, considered the best in the world by international indices, Finland has attracted missions from Brazilian institutions of primary and secondary education with an interest in deepening their knowledge of the Finnish experience.

The positions of Brazil and Finland converge in many themes of the international agenda. Finland supports Brazil’s claim to a permanent seat in the reformed United Nations Security Council and the two countries agree on the need to promote the updating of global governance bodies.

Brazil is the main commercial partner of Finland in Latin America. One of the main axes of the relationship, the flow of trade and investments, still presents possibilities for intensification.

For over two decades, Finland has organized its own carnival – in the style of the Brazilian carnival, with a parade of samba and dance schools. The country has more than ten capoeira groups. The quest for learning the Brazilian variant of the Portuguese language has grown, as there has been a continuous increase in enrollment in the Guimarães Rosa Institute both for foreign adults and for Brazilian children and young people residing in Finland.

Chronology of the bilateral relations:

1876 – Visit of D. Pedro II to the south of the Grand Duchy of Finland (Autonomous Grand Duchy of the Russian Empire)
1919 – Brazil recognizes the independence of Finland
1929 – Establishment of diplomatic relations between Brazil and Finland
1938 – Opening of the Embassy of Brazil in Helsinki
1940 – Authorization, by Getúlio Vargas, of the donation of 10.000 coffee bags to Finland, during the Winter War
1983 – Visit to Brazil of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Pär Stenbäck
1986 – Visit to Brazil of Prime Minister Kalevi Sorsa
1986 – Visit to Brazil of the Minister of Foreign Trade, Jermu Laine
1990 – Visit to Brazil of the Minister of Foreign Trade, Pertti Salolainen
1996 – Visit to Brazil of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tarja Halonen
1996 – Visit to Brazil of the Minister for Europe and Foreign Trade, Ole Norrback
1997 – Visit to Brazil of the President of the Republic, Martti Ahtisaari
1998 – Visit to Brazil of the Minister of Trade and Industry, Antti Kalliomäki
2000 – Visit to Finland of the Minister of Communications, João Pimenta da Veiga
2001 – Visit to Brazil of the Minister of Transport and Communications, Olli-Pekka Heinonen
2002 – Visit to Brazil of the Minister of Foreign Trade, Jari Vilén
2002 – Visit to Finland of Vice-President Marco Maciel
2003 – Visit to Brazil of President Tarja Halonen
2004 – Visit to Finland of the Minister for Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, Luiz Fernando Furlan
2006 – Visit to Brazil of President Tarja Halonen
2006 – Visit to Brazil of the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Juha Korkeaoja
2007 – State visit to Finland of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
2008 – Visit to Brazil of Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen
2009 – Visit to Brazil of the Minister of Foreign Trade and Development, Paavo Väyrynen
2009 - 1st Meeting of Bilateral Political Consultations, in Brasilia
2011 – 2nd Meeting of Bilateral Political Consultations, in Helsinki
2012 – Visit to Brazil of Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen and of the Minister for Europe and Foreign Trade, Alexander Stubb
2013 – Visit to Brazil of the Minister of Economic Affairs, Jan Vapaavuori
2013 – Visit to Brazil of the Minister of Education and Communications, Krista Kiuru
2015 – President Dilma Rousseff visits Finland, where she meets with President Sauli Niinistö and Prime Minister Juha Sipilä
2015 - 3rd Meeting of Bilateral Political Consultations, in Brasilia
2016 – Visit to Brazil of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland, Timo Soini
2017 – Visit to Brazil of the Minister of Economic Affairs of Finland, Mika Lintilä
2017 - Opening of the Consulate of Finland in São Paulo
2020 - 4th Meeting of Bilateral Political Consultations, "on-line"
2021 – Visit to Brazil of the Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, Ville Skinnari
2023 - State visit to Brazil of President Sauli Niinistö