President Lula meets with the Prime Minister of Malaysia

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva hosted a meeting in Rio de Janeiro this Sunday (17) with the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim. The meeting took place the day before the G20 Summit.

Also in attendance were the ministers of Foreign Affairs, Mauro Vieira; Finance, Fernando Haddad; Agriculture, Carlos Fávaro; and Management and Innovation, Esther Dweck. The Special Advisor to the President, Celso Amorim, and the Ministry of Development and Industry Executive Secretary, Márcio Elias Rosa, were also present.

Lula and Ibrahim discussed the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty, which Brazil will launch tomorrow at the G20. They also spoke about Malaysia's importance in semiconductors and the advancement of cooperation between the two countries in this area. President Lula recommended that Ibrahim enjoy his time in Brazil and invited him to a State visit, including a meeting among entrepreneurs from the two countries.

The Malaysian Prime Minister stated that this was his first visit to Brazil. He added that perhaps President Lula is not aware of his many admirers in Malaysia, due to his contributions to social justice and his tenacity. The two leaders also discussed their support for the Brazilian stance regarding global governance reform.

Lula and Ibrahim talked at length about sharing experiences from the public sectors of both countries to combat hunger so that they can learn from each other.

They also addressed the favorable moment in the Malaysian economy and the presence of Malaysian companies in Brazil, such as the oil producer Petronas. Lastly, the two leaders spoke about expanding trade and agricultural research relations.