Lula visits Berlin to consolidate resumption of strategic partnership between Brazil and Germany

Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva arrived in Berlin (Germany) this Sunday, December 3, where he will remain for two days following an official agenda to mark the end of an intense year of bilateral cooperation between the two countries.  Following the arrival of the Brazilian mission, Chancellor Olaf Scholz offered dinner to President Lula.

Germany is Brazil's main trading partner in Europe, in addition to being a traditional source of investment.  Bilateral trade between the two countries reached US$19 billion in 2022. This year, between January and October, it reached US$15.9 billion.  The approximately 1,600 German companies currently installed in Brazil account for 8% to 10% of Brazilian industrial GDP. São Paulo is one of the largest concentrations of German industry outside of Germany.

“I have been telling my colleagues from Germany that it has been a long time since Germany has invested in South America and, above all, in Brazil. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, Germany looked intensely to East Germany,” said Lula during a conversation with journalists after the dinner was over.  “Now it must turn to Brazil—especially now that we are focused on clean energy, renewal, energy transition, the Amazon, biodiversity. Brazil is the hot ticket, all you have to do is invest,” stressed the President.

On Monday—alongside Chancellor Olaf Scholz— Lula will head the 2nd High-Level Intergovernmental Consultation Meeting with the participation of ministers from both countries.  One of the goals of the trip is to expand the alliance in the field of ​​ecological transformation. 

Authorities from both countries are expected to sign a series of agreements addressing environment and climate change, agriculture, bioeconomy, health, science, technology and innovation, global development, information integrity and combating disinformation.

RESUMPTION OF DIALOGUE — Brazil and Germany are undergoing a special moment in their relationship this year. The reset of the partnership between the two countries is visible, now culminating in the visit of President Lula and several ministers to Berlin.  High-level intergovernmental consultations—which had not occurred for eight years—were resumed.

On social media, Lula announced his "arrival in Berlin for a meeting between the German and Brazilian governments, to reinforce partnership and cooperation in many areas— energy, industry, combating fake news and ecological transition—and to resume with Germany, one of the world's largest and most advanced economies, a dialogue that had been abandoned by previous governments.”