Bolsonaro Says Mercosur-Japan Agreement May Proceed in November

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – After a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, President Jair Bolsonaro said that “one more step” had been taken to enable the trade agreement between Mercosur and Japan.

According to Bolsonaro, the start of negotiations will be formalized in November, when Abe will travel to Brazil.

“We have taken one more step in the Mercosur (agreement) issue. There is interest on his (Abe) part  too,” said Bolsonaro. Asked whether the agreement could be made official next month with Abe’s visit to the country, the president answered yes. “There is no doubt about it,” he said.

The third meeting between Bolsonaro and the Prime Minister took place at the Akasaka Palace in Tokyo and lasted approximately 15 minutes. “The meeting was excellent,” stated the president.

Bolsonaro also said that he received support from Abe for Brazil to join the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), although he admitted that the procedure would take some time.

“He (Abe) said he is in favor of Brazil joining. It is a lengthy operation, two, three years….. It has significant support, we have already had Israel and many others. Everything is progressing well so that we can have the culmination of a successful trip”, he said.

Interested in opening the Japanese market for Brazilian meat, Bolsonaro invited the Prime Minister to eat barbecue in Brazil. “We’re going to a steakhouse,” he said. When he arrived in Japan on Monday, he jokingly said he would not eat meat in the country until Brazilian pork and beef are sold in Japanese restaurants.

Bolsonaro and Shinzo Abe also discussed a potential partnership between the countries involving rare ores such as niobium, graphene, and lithium. According to a presidential advisor, the partnership would mainly involve investments and research in the area.

Also according to this advisor, the partnership is “gaining solidity”.

The Brazilian president used the opportunity to point out the approval of the basic text of the Social Welfare reform in the Senate and reinforced Brazil’s interest in attracting more investments and foreign partnerships.

In addition, he stated that he intends to encourage educational partnerships so that more Brazilians can participate in study and work programs in Japan.

According to Itamaraty (Brazil’s Foreign Office), Bolsonaro’s presence as the only South American head of state at the coronation of Japanese emperor, Naruhito, was regarded as a gesture of goodwill.