Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Feb 12 (EFE).- Brazil and India will sign a cooperation agreement on critical minerals and rare earths during Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s state visit to the Asian country next week, official sources announced Thursday.
The agreement «will follow the general line of Brazilian policy for the sector, which is to give it priority, open up to international cooperation, and bring added value to national production. Not only extracting the mineral but also processing it here,» said Susan Klebank, director for Asia and the Pacific at the Brazilian Foreign Ministry, at a press conference.
Brazil has the world’s second-largest reserves of rare earths and aims to increase its exports. However, it is also interested in agreements that would allow it to process these materials domestically and increase their value.
It also intends to diversify its trading partners for these minerals and avoid exclusivity agreements such as those sought by the United States.
This will be one of 11 agreements that the Brazilian president will sign during his trip to India from Feb. 18 to 21.
The first two days, Lula will participate in the Impact of Artificial Intelligence Summit, and he will stay for two more days for his state visit.
He also plans to sign the Digital Partnership for the Future between Brazil and India, the agreement to extend tourist visas, and another to promote collaboration between Brazil’s Embraer and India’s Adani Defence & Aerospace to build aircraft in the Asian country.
Lula will also take advantage of his visit to promote negotiations to expand the preferential trade agreement between Mercosur and India, one of the South American bloc’s priorities.
Among the planned engagements are a bilateral meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a dinner hosted in his honor by President Droupadi Murmu.
»Lula and Prime Minister Modi will have the opportunity to exchange views on the global situation, particularly the challenges to multilateralism and international trade,» Klebank said.
She added that they will also discuss the need for reforms to the United Nations Security Council, a body that both Brazil and India aspire to join as permanent members.
»Both leaders will also reiterate their commitment to peace in Gaza, with respect for the sovereignty of nations and democracy,» said the ambassador.
The diplomat recalled that the two countries, members of the BRICS and IBAS forums, signed a strategic partnership in 2006 and are experiencing a moment of «ascension» in their relations, «which have gained even more importance in the current context of global instability.» EFE
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