Published 02/21/2024 14:18 | Edited 02/21/2024 15:23
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva met, this Wednesday (21), with the United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, at Palácio do Planalto. “It was a great meeting. I am very grateful to the president [Lula] for your time,” declared Blinken. The conflict in Gaza was also addressed and both agreed on the need to create a Palestinian State.
The head of US diplomacy also said that his country and Brazil “are doing very important things together. We are working together bilaterally, regionally, globally. It is a very important partnership and we are grateful for your friendship.”
Through social media, Blinken stated: “Brazil is a fundamental partner on many issues, including combating the climate crisis and promoting human and labor rights. As we approach 200 years of US-Brazil relations, our ties are stronger than ever.”
President Lula highlighted, through social media, that “we talked about the G20, the initiative to improve the condition of workers that we launched with President Biden, the protection of the environment, the energy transition, the expansion of investment and cooperation ties between our countries and about peace in Ukraine and Gaza.”
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According to Palácio do Planalto, Blinken reaffirmed support for Brazil in the presidency of the G-20 and praised the choice of themes for the Rio Janeiro Summit: reform of global governance, combating hunger and poverty and energy transition.
The president, in turn, reiterated the need to reform international financial organizations and the UN Security Council — an issue that had Blinken’s support.
Partnerships in agriculture, food security and infrastructure in Africa were also discussed. Lula also highlighted the urgency of addressing the external debt of African countries. Regarding issues relating to Latin America, the secretary thanked Brazil for its role in the dialogue between Venezuela and Guyana.
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Another highlighted point of the conversation was the ongoing conflicts. President Lula reaffirmed his desire for peace and an end to the war in Ukraine and the attacks in Gaza. Both agreed on the need to create a Palestinian state.
The meeting took place behind closed doors, but judging by the images and statements released, the atmosphere was friendly, without contamination in relation to the stance adopted by Israel against Lula and Brazilian diplomacy, after the president once again denounced the government’s genocide of the Palestinian people. Benjamin Netanyahu’s Zionist. Blinken is Jewish and has family members who survived the Holocaust.
In 2024, Brazil and the United States will complete 200 years of diplomatic relations. This is the first time that Blinken has come to the country in his capacity as US Secretary of State. He will participate in a meeting between G20 foreign ministers, between this Wednesday (21) and Thursday (22), in Rio de Janeiro and from there, he will head to Argentina, where he will meet with President Javier Milei.
Article updated at 3:23 pm to include information
With agencies
Source: vermelho.org.br
