Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said Japan will further strengthen relations with Brazil under the presidency of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who became the nation’s leader earlier this year.
As reported by Kyodo NewsDuring a meeting with his Brazilian counterpart Mauro Vieira in Brasilia, Hayashi criticized Sunday’s riots committed by supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro in the capital, while expressing support for the new “democratically elected” leader.
Hayashi also indicated that the economic relations between the two countries have “great potential”, especially in the fields of food, energy and mineral resources, of which Brazil is a large producer.
Hayashi said he hopes Brazil’s government under Lula, who was sworn in as president on Jan. 1, will improve aspects of the country’s business environment, in areas such as tax systems, so that Japanese companies can invest more in the South American nation.
The talks came a day after protesters supporting Bolsonaro, Lula’s predecessor, stormed legislative buildings, the presidential office and the Supreme Court in Brasilia.
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Hayashi said that the threat to democracy through violence must not be tolerated.
Vieira, who took office earlier this month after Lula’s inauguration, said Brazil will continue to promote friendly relations with Japan even after his nation’s change of power.
The two senior diplomats agreed to cooperate to maintain and strengthen the free and open rules-based international order as the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues.
With both Japan and Brazil occupying non-permanent seats on the UN Security Council in 2023, Hayashi and Vieira also affirmed the willingness of both governments to work together, including as members of the “Group of Four,” in which they also Germany and India participate.
Hayashi extended an invitation to Lula and Vieira to Japan, while the Brazilian Foreign Minister invited Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to Brazil.
