Lula reiterates Brazil's environmental commitments during meeting with the Prime Minister of Australia

At 4:45 PM today (19, local time), Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva attended his first bilateral meeting before the Group of Seven (G7) expanded summit in Hiroshima, Japan. The meeting with the Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, lasted approximately half an hour.

During his third term in office, Lula highlighted Brazil's comeback in international relations and the resumption of its social policies and infrastructure works towards resuming economic growth.

The president also reiterated that one of his priorities is to enhance the protection of the environment and biodiversity and mentioned Australian investments in the production of green hydrogen in the Brazilian state of Ceará. Lula says this complements Brazil's "already very clean" energy matrix.

Albanese, in turn, highlighted the importance of Lula's election in 2022, especially to the environment.

Lula also said that, since both are labor politicians, they must think of ways of promoting new relations between capital and work – to avoid the precariousness brought about by new technologies and to strengthen unions, "as in Spain's labor reform."

Lula highlighted that he intends to visit Australia. He also congratulated the country for organizing the Women's World Cup with New Zealand, which will take place in July.

PARTICIPATION IN THE G7 — The Brazilian president arrived in Japan today as one of the guests of the Annual Summit of the G7, a group that brings together seven of the world's eight largest economies. During the two days of work and three thematic sessions, Lula will participate in at least six other bilateral meetings with heads of state – including a meeting with the UN Secretary-General and another with a group of Japanese businesspeople.

The next appointment, scheduled for 8:45 AM tomorrow (20), is a meeting with the Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida – who, in April, invited Lula and the Brazilian government to participate in the event.

BRAZIL-AUSTRALIA RELATIONS — Following almost 80 years of solid diplomatic relations – the first Australian diplomatic mission in South America was established in Rio de Janeiro in 1946 –, Brazil and Australia now maintain a strategic partnership and cooperate on several levels.

Young Brazilian students' interest in studying in Australia is an important component of these bilateral relations. According to the latest Australian education census – with 2021 data –, Australia harbors 14,600 Brazilian students. Before Covid, there were almost 27,000 Brazilian students in Australia.

Moreover, in 2022 Brazil exported USD 732 million in products to Australia and imported USD 2.67 billion from Australia – a total of USD 3.4 billion in business.

The main products exported by Brazil were construction equipment, coffee, and cellulose. Coal headed the list of Brazilian imports from Australia at 84%.