To make room for Crivella and serve the evangelical lobby, the former president removed one of the Itamaraty’s main ambassadors, Sergio Danese, from Pretoria.
During the Lula government, Benedito Fonseca Filho, one of the few Afro-descendant ambassadors at Itamaraty, was appointed to the position in July last year. Along with the solution to the diplomatic issue, work began to make up for lost time. Flights between São Paulo, Cape Town and Johannesburg resumed and trade reached US$2.2 billion.
The goal now is to expand this relationship and, not by chance, the meetings this week include Chancellor Mauro Vieira and the South African Minister of Foreign Affairs, Grace Pandor. She will also be received in audience by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Commitments for energy transition
In the energy sector, for example, the document under consideration this Tuesday cites “the importance of cooperation in the face of common challenges in energy transition and energy security.” “The lack of a formal structure for bilateral cooperation in the energy sector was mentioned, and the negotiation of an instrument in this regard was suggested”, highlights the report, carried out following the preparatory meetings.
In the field of biofuels, Brazil “was open to sharing its experience and offered to receive a South African delegation for a research mission, as well as to organize the Ethanol Talks event in South Africa”.
Tags: Brazil South Africa resume partnership Bolsonarist era
