Russia’s foreign minister arrives in Brazil on Monday

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrives in Brazil on Monday, April 17, and will meet the same day with the Brazilian Foreign Minister, Mauro Vieira, in Brasilia.

Vieira will receive Lavrov at the Itamaraty Palace, where the foreign ministers “will talk about the potential of the strategic partnership between Brazil and Russia” and the “prospects for cooperation in areas of common interest, focusing on trade and investment, science and technology, environment, energy, defense, culture, and education,” according to a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Another meeting agenda will be the “strengthening of political dialogue on bilateral, international and regional issues”, being an opportunity “to address the conflict in Ukraine,” the statement adds.

The note recalls that Brazil defends “in international forums and bilateral contacts, the immediate cessation of hostilities and the importance of combining diplomatic efforts to achieve a peaceful negotiated solution.

Lavrov is touring Latin American countries until next Friday, 21, and is expected to visit Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba.

Lavrov’s visit to Brazil comes the day after President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) concluded his three-day trip to China and the United Arab Emirates.

The Brazilian president spoke with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, and his Emirati counterpart, Mohammed ben Zayed al Nahyan, about creating a group of countries, similar to the G20, to mediate the conflict caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

According to Cuba’s Prensa Latina, Lavrov will promote political, commercial, economic, and cultural cooperation during his visit to Latin American countries.

According to the Cuban Foreign Ministry, Lavrov’s visit to Havana will take place on the 19th, coinciding with the parliamentary election of the Cuban president, who could re-elect the current president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, for a new five-year term.

With information from AFP