White House confirms meeting between Lula and Biden

The White House confirmed the meeting between the President of the United States, Joe Biden, and the Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) in Washington (DC), on February 10. The announcement was made by the White House Press Secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, on Tuesday (31.jan.2023). Here is the full text (44 KB, in English).

According to Jean-Pierre, the leaders will discuss “how the 2 countries can continue to work together to promote inclusion and democratic values ​​in the region and the world”. Biden will also address other challenges common to Brazil and the US, such as combating climate change and encouraging global economic development..

The secretary also claims that the US president will reaffirm the “United States unwavering support for Brazilian democracy”.

Biden and Lula spoke by phone after the attacks on the headquarters of the Powers on January 8th. The visit to the USA, however, had already been prepared beforehand.

In December, still as president-elect, Lula received the US national security adviser, Jake Sullivan. It was a preparatory conversation for the meeting with Biden.

Initially, the PT’s intention was to visit the United States before taking office, on January 1st. However, internal political commitments, such as negotiations with the allied base for the composition of the Esplanada dos Ministérios, postponed the trip.

The last official appointment of a Brazilian Chief Executive at the White House was made by former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) on March 19, 2019.

He met with former US president Donald Trump and presented the republican with a shirt from the Brazilian soccer team. On the occasion, he also received the US commitment to support Brazil’s entry into the OECD (Organization for Cooperation and Development).

The meeting with Biden will mark the 2nd international trip and the 3rd country that Lula visits in his first 2 months of office.

On January 23, Lula went to Argentina to meet President Alberto Fernández. He hinted at the resumption of Latin American integration and promised BNDES (National Bank for Economic and Social Development) financing for a section of the Vaca Muerta gas pipeline, responsible for transporting shale gas.

The following day, he participated in the opening of the 7th summit of CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States). He signed economic and environmental commitments with countries in the region.

Then, on January 25, the President traveled to Uruguay, where he met with Uruguayan President Luis Alberto Lacalle Pou. He signaled a preference for a Mercosur agreement with the European Union before an agreement with China, with whom Lacalle Pou had been negotiating a free trade agreement outside the bloc.

The Brazilian president is also planning a state trip to China, Brazil’s biggest trading partner, in March. The exact date of the commitment has not yet been disclosed by the Itamaraty.