Lula announces Apex office in Lisbon

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) announced this Saturday (April 22, 2023) the installation of an office for ApexBrasil (Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency) in Lisbon, Portugal.

the measure goes “showing the seriousness of the relationship between Brazil and Portugal”, according to the Chief Executive. The declaration was made at the 13th Luso-Brazilian Summit, which was also attended by the Portuguese Prime Minister, António Costa.

At the event, 13 agreements were signed in the areas of education, justice, health, economy and culture.

Read the list of memorandums signed by Brazil and Portugal:

• Complementary agreement to the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Consultation between the Portuguese Republic and the Federative Republic of Brazil, signed in Porto Seguro, on April 22, 2000, on the granting of equivalence of studies in Brazil (primary and secondary education) and in Portugal (primary and secondary education);
• agreement on witness protection;
• agreement on the creation of Portuguese School of Sao Paulo;
• understanding for the creation of bilateral cooperation mechanisms for the exchange of good practices in the promotion and defense of rights of people with disabilities;
• understanding in energy mastery;
• understanding in field of geology and mines;
• understanding to promote mutual recognition of driving license;
• understanding for international cooperation between the ministries: Health (Brazil and Portugal), Science, Technology and Higher Education (Portugal), Economy and the Sea (Portugal) and Fiocruz (Oswaldo Cruz Foundation);
• cooperation between the Instituto do Cinema e do Audiovisual, from Portugal, and Ancine (Agência Nacional do Cinema), from Brazil, for the promotion of film co-production;
• agreement between the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education (Portugal), the Portuguese Space Agency (Portugal Space), the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Brazil) and the Brazilian Space Agency, for cooperation in the peaceful use of space, space sciences, technologies and applications;
• declaration of intent in health area –“Letter from Lisbon”;
• understanding between Embratur and Turismo de Portugal;
• cooperation between the Portuguese news agency Lusa and the EBC (Brazilian Communications Company);

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Read more about Lula’s visit to Portugal:

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In a speech, Lula emphasized the resumption of Brazil’s role on the international stage. According to the petista, Brazil “perhaps it was the most rejected country on planet Earth” during the administration of President Jair Bolsonaro (PL).

About his government, Lula said that the first 3 months were used for the reconstruction of public policies and, from now on, the focus will be on infrastructure.

The president highlighted that the proximity of Portugal makes Brazil “find it easier to penetrate Europe” and spoke about the agreement between the European Union and Mercosur: “As far as it depends on me, we will be able to do”.

The Portuguese prime minister announced an investment of €5.7 billion (about R$32 billion at current exchange rates) by EDP, a Portuguese energy company, and Galp, a gas company, in Brazil.

Lula said that the Apex (Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency) is going to open an office in Lisbon.

Squid in Portugal

Despite having landed in Lisbon on the morning of Friday (April 21), Lula’s official commitments began this Saturday (April 22). He was received by the President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, at the Jerónimos Monastery. There, he laid flowers on the tomb of the Portuguese poet Luiz Vaz de Camões.

Afterwards, he went to the Palace of Belém for a private meeting with the Portuguese president.

Afterwards, Lula spent the afternoon in meetings with the Prime Minister of Portugal, António Costa, and other Portuguese authorities.

On Sunday (April 23), Lula’s agenda is free from official commitments. The president will be, on Monday (April 24), in Matosinhos, in the Porto region. He is going to participate in the opening of the Portugal-Brazil Business Forum, an event organized by Apex-Brasil and the Portuguese agency Aicep. On the occasion, there will be a renewal of the protocol of understanding between the two promotion agencies.

The Brazilian Chief Executive returns to Lisbon aboard a KC-390 aircraft, produced by Embraer. Portugal acquired 5 of these aircraft. Also on Monday (April 24), Lula and Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa will deliver the Camões Prize to Chico Buarque, at the Queluz Palace.

On Tuesday (April 25) in the morning, Lula will be honored at a formal session of the Assembly of the Portuguese Republic. After that, the delegation leaves for Madrid, capital of Spain.

The official agenda in Spain starts on the 25th in the afternoon and continues until the following day.