The go to was the first-ever by a Brazilian overseas minister to Eire.
President Michael D. Higgins has described his meeting this morning with Mauro Vieira, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brazil, as productive, with the 2 discussing environmental justice and sustainable improvement.
Yesterday, Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Commerce Simon Harris welcomed Vieira to Dublin to start the first-ever official go to by a Brazilian overseas minister to Eire regardless of a excessive inhabitants of Brazilian immigrants in Eire. In 2018, Brazil was ranked first within the high 10 registered nationalities in Eire at 16% of the general whole, in keeping with the Irish census.
2025 marks the fiftieth anniversary of Eire and Brazil formally establishing diplomatic relations. Vieira’s go to is the very best stage of diplomatic engagement by a Brazilian politician to Eire since.
In his statement, President Higgins thanked Vieira and praised Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s work on climate-related issues amid “extraordinarily difficult situations” within the nation. After President Lula gained the 2022 election over far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro, supporters of Bolsonaro attacked federal authorities buildings in Brazil’s capital, refusing to simply accept Lula’s presidency.
“I very a lot welcome the chance of meeting with Foreign Minster Vieira at present and of expressing my help as President of Eire for the very important work which President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and his Authorities are doing, in extraordinarily difficult situations,” the President wrote.
The go to got here at a historic time for Brazil, because the nation is about to host the United Nations Local weather Change Convention (COP30) in November. President Higgins referenced diplomat, humanitarian and Easter Rising chief Roger Casement, who labored as a consul within the area of Belém in 1907. Casement was famend for his experiences exposing atrocities dedicated towards native staff within the Amazon.
“For many who imagine within the United Nations Sustainable Growth Targets and sustainable improvement, globally and inside Europe, he [President Lula] is the most effective ally which they’ve internationally in reaching these objectives,” President Higgins wrote.
“At COP30 in Belém in Brazil in November, a metropolis with which Eire has a connection via the work of Roger Casement, there must be an efficient alliance to withstand the domination of COP by lobbyists on behalf of oil and logging.”
Brazil held the presidency of the G20 in 2024, which targeted closely on environmental issues. Below the G20, Brazil drafted the International Alliance In opposition to Starvation and Poverty, a multilateral treaty supporting the elimination of starvation and poverty to areas world wide, which Eire signed eventually 12 months’s G20 summit.
“I commend Brazil on the robust focus positioned on sustainable improvement throughout its Presidency of the G20 and I’m very happy that Eire has joined the International Alliance In opposition to Poverty and Starvation established by President Lula,” President Higgins wrote.
The President additionally mentioned the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organisation, which goals to encourage and facilitate sustainable improvement of the Amazon. The Amazon Rainforest is the biggest and most biodiverse rainforest on the planet, overlaying 40% of the South American continent and producing 20% of Earth’s oxygen.
Nonetheless, 40% of the areas of the Amazon rainforest most crucial to curbing local weather change had not been granted particular authorities safety in 2024 amid huge deforestation. Financial losses as a result of of deforestation in Brazil are estimated to be 7 occasions greater than the associated fee of all commodities produced via deforestation. In accordance with the Amazon Network of Georeferenced Socio-Environmental Information, as much as 23.7 million hectares of forest within the Amazon might have been misplaced up to now 5 years— an space round 3.5 occasions that of Eire.
The Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organisation has been a method Brazil and its allies have tried to fight the detrimental impacts of deforestation via regional cooperation and strategising for an answer.
“The Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organisation represents one of essentially the most constructive voices with regard to the lengthy view of local weather change,” President Higgins wrote.
“Below grave difficulties, they’re looking for to struggle towards the speculative cash funding unlawful logging and the 1000’s concerned in lobbying for fossil gasoline conglomerates. President Lula and Brazil needs to be given help by all those that imagine within the significance of reversing the perilous place into which the long run of all types of life on the planet have been plunged.”
Alongside with local weather issues, the President additionally expressed help for Brazil’s indigenous inhabitants of practically 1,700,000 as COP30 approaches. Whereas 21% of the Amazon in Brazil has been secured as indigenous land and a Ministry of Native Individuals was established in 2023 to guard indigenous pursuits, deforestation threatens these communities’ security and safety.
“It is usually essential that the popularity and presence of indigenous individuals, whom Brazil and President Lula needs to get applicable recognition and centrality, shouldn’t be decreased to being a sideshow of COP30,” President Higgins wrote.
“The help of Eire and people EU member states who share our perspective will likely be very important in reaching this.”
Learn the total statement here.
