남아공 브릭스 정상회의, 룰라(Lula) 발언록

브라질 대통령실

 

브라질 대통령실 FOREIGN RELATIONS

At the end of his visit to Angola, Lula defends more partnerships with Africa and other countries of the Global South / President also celebrated the result of the BRICS summit, which increased the number of countries and the geopolitical weight of the bloc(0826)/2023 3:49 PM

The President of the Republic, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, ended his two-day official visit to Angola with a press conference this Saturday afternoon (8/26), before leaving for São Tomé and Príncipe. In his opening statements, he defended more investments and partnerships with the African continent and also with other countries of the so-called Global South, as a way of accelerating development and combating inequality.

"If the developed world, if people who have money, sometimes without where to invest, are interested in making this fund to invest in infrastructure. Because the more African countries grow, the more Latin American countries grow, the more we will be consumers of countries that make more sophisticated products, which have greater added value. This is the logic until we are competitive with them", he said.

Lula mentioned IFAD, an infrastructure development project presented by the African Union about ten years ago, which provided for a total of US$ 340 billion in works. According to him, the intention was to call development banks from all over the world, such as the BNDES and the IDB, but the idea ended up not materializing. The need for investments and the potential for growth, however, still exist.

"Africa will soon have 1.3 billion inhabitants, a GDP of almost BRL 3.4 trillion, it is a continent that (to the extent that it receives help from international funds and from rich countries and solves part of the energy problem) will an extraordinary leap in quality in the productive sector, whether agricultural or industrial”, he pointed out.

For president Lula, one way out would be to convince the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to help African countries and convert their debts into potential investments in infrastructure, which could help the continent to develop.

"Now I have the idea that we need to start a new fight, which is the following: the African continent owes the IMF around US$ 760 billion. This debt is becoming unpayable, because the budget money is never enough to pay debt and the problem is always increasing. The logic is to try to sensitize the people who own this debt, so that it is transformed into infrastructure support: the debt money, instead of being paid, is invested in infrastructure works. You can cancel this debt, which I think will be impossible to cancel a debt of US$ 760 billion, or you can extend it until these countries acquire conditions to be able to pay again. We have to find a solution because we cannot continue in the same way", he argued.

THE ROLE OF THE BRICS – In Lula's opinion, this type of negotiation can be facilitated by strengthening the BRICS on the world stage. This week, during the bloc's summit in South Africa, the accession of six new countries was announced starting in January 2024. In addition to South Africa, Brazil, China, India and Russia, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Egypt, Arab Emirates, Ethiopia and Iran.

“The creation of BRICS is one of the most extraordinary things that happened in this 21st century. And what happened in South Africa, with the strengthening of BRICS? With the decision to build a commission of economy ministers to discuss the possibility of a business currency between us”, questioned the president.

(With the expansion,) 1.the group gains even more strength for negotiations in favor of a reform in the global governance system, such as changes in the UN Security Council, institutions that help in the fulfillment of environmental agreements such as the Kyoto Protocols, among others. 2. Furthermore, the BRICS expands its ability to negotiate with other power groups on an equal footing or even more so.

“It is very important because the world becomes more balanced in the geopolitical discussion. Now you can have a BRICS meeting with the G7 in conditions of superiority, because GDP (at purchasing parity) the BRICS have more – now they represent 36.7% of GDP at purchasing parity and the G7 represents 29%. So, the geopolitical conditions for you to negotiate change and you negotiate together, you can negotiate with Mercosur, with CELAC”, he exemplified.

For Lula, this expansion and the new weight of the bloc should also help change the way member countries and others that seek partnerships with the BRICS are viewed. “Many times, they treated Africa as a third world, many times they treated China as a third world. When 10, 15 years went by, they stopped with third world terminology and started with developing countries. Now they're going to have to write 'the Global South' – see how fancy it will be now: the headline 'Lula participates in the Global South, Lula is president of a country that is in the Global South”, he joked.

The President of the Republic, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, ended his two-day official visit to Angola with a press conference this Saturday afternoon (8/26), before leaving for São Tomé and Príncipe. In his opening statements, he defended more investments and partnerships with the African continent and also with other countries of the so-called Global South, as a way of accelerating development and combating inequality.

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President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva met for the first time, this Thursday afternoon, 8/24, with the president of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi. The bilateral meeting took place in Johannesburg, South Africa, on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit and after the announcement that Iran will be one of the new members of the bloc.

The leaders of the current BRICS members, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, announced this morning that Iran – along with Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Ethiopia – will become part of the bloc from January 2024. This is the group's biggest expansion and the first since entering South Africa in 2011.

At the meeting with Lula, the Iranian president thanked the country for joining the BRICS and stated that he wants to expand trade relations between the two countries. The president of Brazil recalled that, in 2022, Iran was the largest importer of Brazilian products in the Middle East.

With a volume of almost US$ 4.3 billion in products, Iran ranked 18th in the general list of the biggest importers from Brazil in 2022. President Raisi said that his country has advanced in the production of medical equipment and in the areas of science and industry . The advance was necessary due to the sanctions adopted by many Western countries against Iran.

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Lula on the BRICS: “Rebirth in politics and hope”  At a press conference in South Africa, the Brazilian president praises new members of the bloc and the advances in talks on currency for trade Published on 8/24/2023 5:49 pm Updated on 8/25/2023 9:29 am

In conversation with journalists before leaving South Africa for Angola, the President of the Republic, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, highlighted the fundamental advances and made a very positive assessment of the BRICS Summit (Brazil, Russia, India, China and Africa do Sul), held in Johannesburg between the 22nd and 24th of August.

For him, the meeting of heads of state of the five countries represented encouragement and hope, for advances such as the entry of new members, the discussion on the reconfiguration of the Security Council of the United Nations (UN), the willingness to make a viable currency common business model for commercial exchanges between BRICS members and the participation of invited countries.

“It is a civilizing meeting. Poor countries can also speak, they also have the right, they also have the desire. What we want is to express what we want to bring to our people. It's time to start sharing our daily bread better. I am reborn in politics and hope. I leave here with the certainty that, finally, I can tell the people who are listening to me that another world is possible. Something that seemed impossible a while ago”, said the president, also stating that this meeting was the most important he participated in in all his terms.

STRONGER BRICS – At the press conference, Lula stated that, with the arrival of new members (Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia and Iran), the BRICS gains even more economic and strategic importance, starting to relate to the other blocs and organizations such as the Global South, in a changing world and with the economy and geopolitics also beginning to change.

“I think it's a historic moment for humanity, in which countries from the south, for the first time, can make use of the strength they have. I think things will evolve, it will be easier to sit down and talk. Who knows, maybe the BRICS bloc will meet with the G7 bloc to discuss trade, scientific and technological advancement to discuss democracy?”.

The president recalled that, in 1995, the G7 countries held 44.7% of GDP by purchasing parity, and the countries that would form part of the BRICS represented 16.9%. “In 2010, the G7 had already fallen to 34.3% of GDP by purchasing parity and the BRICS had risen to 26.6%. In 2023, the G7 has 29.9% and the BRICS, 32.1%. And the most important thing is that, with the entry of new countries, the BRICS will reach almost 37%”, stated Lula.

The Brazilian president defended the strengthening of Mercosur and Unasur and also said that the BRICS is open to new members, who, when applying, will be chosen according to the same criteria as those new members announced this Thursday. He cited Angola, Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of Congo as potential future members, if interested in joining the group.

“We will continue to do it carefully, according to the geopolitical importance of each country. What is at stake is the importance of the country. I don't want to know the ruler's ideological thinking, but whether it is within the criteria established to enter

BUSINESS CURRENCY – About the creation of a business currency, an idea that he has been talking about in interviews and international meetings, the Brazilian president said that it is not about changing the currency unit of the countries, but about having a currency that allows parity negotiation in international exchanges and dispense with the purchase of dollars for this purpose.

“There was no forum in the world that decided that the dollar would be the reference currency for business. The gold simply came out, the dollar came in and it stayed”, he said. According to Lula, the member countries of the BRICS will have one year to move forward with the idea. “At the next meeting, which will take place in Russia in 2024, the countries will discuss whether there is consensus or not”.

SECURITY COUNCIL – The entry of new members into the UN Security Council is also an old flag of Brazil. Lula again said that the organization needs to better reflect the new design of world geopolitics, which is not the same as in 1945, when it was created. He recalled that Council members decide to attack other countries, start wars, without listening to the Council, and said that the UN needs to be more practical and more respectable.

“The world has changed, countries have changed, gained importance. It is important that the UN has representation, that it can deliberate on things that people accept, obey. Especially at this moment when we are discussing the climate issue”, said the president, also repeating the need for rich countries to pay for the emission of carbon dioxide and destruction of the planet in their industrialization processes.

ENVIRONMENT – Lula said that, in the discussion about protecting the planet, it is necessary to understand that under the canopy of forest trees and on the banks of rivers there are millions of people who want to work, eat and dress well and have access to material goods. “We have to imagine that taking care of nature means taking care of these people too.”

The Brazilian president once again defended understandings in search of peace and said that he has a war to win in Brazil, which is the fight against hunger and the return of democracy. According to him, only with the decision of world leaders can the world move towards the reduction of inequalities and a model with more social justice.

After the interview in South Africa, Lula went to Angola, where he has a two-day agenda, this Friday (8/25) and Saturday (8/26). On Sunday (8/27), he will participate in a meeting of Portuguese-speaking countries, in São Tomé and Príncipe.

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Pronouncement by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva during the press statement by BRICS leaders in South Africa(0824)

I want to especially thank President Ramaphosa and his team for the warm welcome to this BRICS meeting, the first in-person summit since the pandemic. The last time I attended a BRICS meeting was in 2010. I am deeply impressed with the maturity of the BRICS and the results we have managed to achieve together.

In 2011, the entry of South Africa into the grouping gave it greater geographic representation by contemplating one of the fastest growing regions in the world. Many claimed that we are too different to forge a common vision. Experience, however, demonstrates the opposite. Our diversity strengthens the struggle for a new order that accommodates the economic, geographic and political plurality of the 21st century.

In this world in transition, the BRICS offer us a source of creative solutions to the challenges we face. The relevance of the BRICS is confirmed by the growing interest shown by other countries in joining the group. Among the various results of today's summit, I highlight the expansion of the BRICS, with the inclusion of new members. 

As President Ramaphosa indicated, it is with satisfaction that Brazil welcomes the BRICS Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia and Iran. Now, BRICS GDP rises to 36% of global GDP at purchasing power parity and 46% of world population.

BRICS will remain open to new candidates and, for that, we also approved criteria and procedures for future memberships. We also approved the creation of a Working Group to study the adoption of a BRICS reference currency. This measure may increase our payment options and reduce our vulnerabilities. I also want to highlight the decision related to the reform of global governance, especially in relation to the UN Security Council.

Finally, I dedicate a special message to dear Alberto Fernández, President of Argentina and a great friend of Brazil and the developing world. We will continue advancing side by side with our Argentine brothers in yet another international forum.

We will continue to defend issues that have a direct impact on the quality of life of our populations, such as the fight against hunger and poverty and the promotion of sustainable development. We will promote the overcoming of all forms of inequality and discrimination. May the BRICS continue to be the driving force of a fairer world order and an indispensable player in the promotion of peace, multilateralism and the defense of international law. Thank you very much.

 

Speech by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva during the Dialogue of Friends of BRICS, in South Africa, on August 24, 2023

I would like to congratulate President Ramaphosa for dedicating this debate to the BRICS partnership with the Global South and, in particular, with Africa. It is time to revitalize cooperation among developing countries.

Today, we see the emergence of new challenges, which add to long-standing problems. We were hit by a pandemic, new conflicts and a severe climate emergency, while we were working to implement the Sustainable Development Goals.

When adopted, the 2030 Agenda charted a course to a better future. Today, half of the goals are behind schedule and there was stagnation or retrogression in almost a third of them. Food insecurity has regressed to 2005 levels.

Democracy, in many places, is threatened by extremism or corroded by xenophobia. And we are, once again in history, at risk of nuclear war. The world has moved backwards. Many of the answers we seek to build a more equitable world are in Africa.

Covid-19 claimed millions of lives, but – despite unjustifiable obstacles to accessing vaccines – Africa has had low death rates. As security concerns increasingly limit technology sharing, the African Union launches a digital transformation strategy and hundreds of startups and innovation hubs emerge in Africa.

As unilateral measures proliferate that threaten the integrity of the trade regime, the African continent is becoming the largest free trade area on the planet, with 1.3 billion people and a combined GDP of US$3.4 trillion.

As multilateral bodies fail to respond to threats to peace, the African Union takes on a growing role in conflict resolution. On the one hand, excluding alliances are reborn and intensify tensions, and, on the other, African and Latin American countries unite to preserve the South Atlantic Zone of Peace and Cooperation. 

But, as in other regions, in Africa the great constraints imposed on developing countries are also evident. The promises of globalization have not been fulfilled. Today, many nations are hampered by unpayable debts. In recent years, the volume of resources directed to countries in the Global South, via trade and investment, has been decreasing.

Most of the developing world depends on exporting commodities, for which demand is volatile, and importing basic necessities, whose prices have soared. At the same time, financial institutions impose high interest rates and conditionalities that narrow the space for State action.

It is impossible to promote sustainable development if the public budget is consumed by servicing the debt. Tackling climate change offers us an opportunity to rethink finance, trade and development models. 

The energy transition cannot re-edit the exploitation relationship of the colonial past. We need solutions that diversify and add value to production in developing countries. The clearest sign that the planet is becoming a more unequal place is growing hunger and poverty. This is unacceptable. Despite their magnitude, these problems are not addressed with the urgency they deserve. 

The emissions of the richest 1% of the world's population are 100 times greater than those of the poorest 50%. As Kenyan environmentalist Wangari Maathai, Nobel Peace Prize winner, put it, “We are very fond of blaming the poor for the destruction of the environment. But often it is the powerful, including governments, who are responsible”.

There are sustainable ways to increase agricultural productivity, generate income and provide social protection. This is what we discussed at the Amazon Summit in Belém earlier this month. And that we want to discuss with the countries of the other tropical basins, the Congo and the Borneo-Mekong.

Brazil will assume the presidency of the G20 in December and wants to place the reduction of inequalities at the center of the international agenda. We cannot do this without greater representation for Africa. That is why we support the entry of the African Union as a member of the G20.

With my trip to South Africa – from where I will head to Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe – I intend to inaugurate a new cooperation agenda between Brazil and Africa. We are going to resume our universalist vocation and rebuild our historic links with developing countries. Prosperity is only full when shared.

The presence here of dozens of leaders from the Global South shows that the world is more complex than the Cold War mentality that some want to restore. Instead of adhering to the logic of competition, which imposes automatic alignments and fosters distrust, we must strengthen our collaboration. A world with well-being for all is only possible with a more inclusive and solidary international order. Thank you very much.

 

Full text of the speech read by the President of the Republic, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, during the open plenary session of the XV BRICS Summit,(0823)

It is a joy to return to Johannesburg, a city that was an important stage in the struggle against Apartheid and which remains an inspiration for the fight against all forms of discrimination and inequality. The last time I participated in this Summit, in 2010, I had the honor of welcoming, in Brasilia, the heads of state and government of Russia, India and China, in addition to South Africa as a guest. Just one year later, we confirmed the entry of South Africa in the first expansion of our grouping. Its inclusion made us better reflect the new configuration of world power. We come out strengthened.

Today, we represent 41% of the population and are responsible for 31% of global GDP at purchasing power parity. But we face a more complex scenario than when we first got together. In just a few years, we have retreated from a scenario of benign multipolarity to one that resumes the obsolete mentality of the Cold War and geopolitical competition. This is a foolishness that generates great uncertainties and corrodes multilateralism. We know where this path can lead us.

The world needs to understand that the risks involved are unacceptable to humanity. We cannot avoid dealing with the main current conflict, which takes place in Ukraine and has global effects. Brazil has a historic position of defending sovereignty, territorial integrity and all the purposes and principles of the United Nations. We find it positive that an increasing number of countries, among them the BRICS countries, are also engaged in direct contacts with Moscow and Kiev. We do not underestimate the difficulties in achieving peace.

Nor can we remain indifferent to the deaths and destruction that increase every day. We stand ready to join an effort that can effectively contribute to a prompt ceasefire and a just and lasting peace. Everyone suffers the consequences of war. The most vulnerable populations in developing countries are disproportionately affected. The war in Ukraine highlights the limitations of the Security Council. The BRICS must act as a force for understanding and cooperation. Our willingness is expressed in the contributions of China, South Africa and my own country to the efforts to resolve the conflict in Ukraine. Many other conflicts and crises do not receive due attention even though they cause vast suffering for their populations. 

Haitians, Yemenis, Syrians, Libyans, Sudanese and Palestinians all deserve to live in peace. It is unacceptable that global military spending in a single year exceeds 2 trillion dollars, while the FAO tells us that 735 million people go hungry every day in the world. The search for peace is a collective duty and an imperative for fair and sustainable development.

In many places, while men wage war, it is women who fight for conciliation. Valuing and strengthening the role of women in conflict resolution will be increasingly central to a peaceful world. More than that, women's empowerment is a precondition for full economic and social development.

To paraphrase Thomas Sankara, a great pan-African leader: we cannot aspire to a society in which half the population is silenced by machismo and discrimination in political participation and in the world of work.

Dear colleagues, The breakdown of global governance is also evident in the agendas of development, financing and tackling climate change. Upon returning to the presidency of Brazil, it saddens me to see that the implementation of the 2030 Agenda is at risk worldwide. A recent UN report indicates strong setbacks.

We see the biggest increase in inequality between countries in three decades. In 30% of the goals, we stagnate or go backwards. It is very difficult to combat climate change while so many developing countries are still dealing with hunger, poverty and other violence. The principle of common but differentiated responsibilities remains relevant.

Those largely responsible for the carbon emissions that caused the climate crisis were those who made the Industrial Revolution and fed a predatory colonial extractivism. They owe a historic debt to planet Earth and humanity. We need to value the Paris Agreement and the Climate Convention, instead of outsourcing climate responsibilities to the Global South. Brazil is recovering its leading role in the environmental agenda.

Coordination with other developing countries with tropical forests to act in the COPs on Climate and Biodiversity will be vital to give weight to our interests. The Amazon Summit, held on the 8th and 9th of August, is a milestone for the necessary construction of a fairer sustainable development model.

Our resources must not be exploited for the benefit of a few, but valued and put at the service of all, above all for the well-being of local populations. But for the promises already made by rich countries to be fulfilled, climate and biodiversity finance must be truly new and additional to development finance.

We need an international financial system that, instead of fueling inequalities, helps low- and middle-income countries to implement structural changes. This will only happen with adequate representation in the Bretton Woods institutions and their climate funds. External indebtedness constrains sustainable development. It is unacceptable that developing countries are penalized with interest rates up to eight times higher than those charged to rich countries.

It is necessary to increase liquidity, expand concessional financing and end conditionalities. The multilateral trading system must be revived to once again act as a tool for fair, predictable, equitable and non-discriminatory trade.

No one remembers the WTO Development Round anymore. The decarbonization of our economies must be accompanied by the generation of decent jobs, industrialization and green infrastructure, and public services for all.

Through the New Development Bank (NDB), we can offer our own financing alternatives, suited to the needs of the Global South. I am sure that, under the leadership of my partner Dilma Rousseff, the Bank will rise to these challenges.

The creation of a currency for trade and investment transactions between BRICS members increases our payment options and reduces our vulnerabilities.

Presidents, Today BRICS is fully consolidated as a brand and political asset of strategic value. The participation of dozens of Heads of State and Government in tomorrow's expanded session will represent a historic achievement. The interest of several countries to join the group is recognition of its growing relevance. We will also have a troika in the G20 with only BRICS members, from 2023 to 2025. This is yet another opportunity to advance the concerns of the Global South with inequalities and sustainable development. May the impetus that motivated the creation of the BRICS 15 years ago continue to inspire us in building a multipolar, fair and inclusive order. Thank you very much.

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Speech by the President of the Republic, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, during the BRICS Business Forum, in Johannesburg, South Africa(0822)

I would like to congratulate the South African government for hosting this Business Forum. I want to express my satisfaction for sharing this event with the other leaders of the BRICS countries. I would also like to thank all the businessmen present, especially the management of the Business Council, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary.

The establishment of partnerships between the private sectors is a very relevant dimension of the BRICS and that gives life and continuity to the relations between the countries. Since the first Summit of Heads of State and Government, our participation in the global economy has been expanding.

We have already surpassed the G7, and we account for 32% of world GDP in purchasing power parity. Projections indicate that emerging and developing markets are those that will show the highest growth rate in the coming years.

According to the IMF, while industrialized countries should slow down their growth from 2.7% in 2022 to 1.4% in 2024, the forecast growth for developing countries is 4% this year and next. This shows that the dynamism of the economy is in the Global South and the BRICS is its driving force.

Brazil's total trade with the BRICS increased from US$48 billion in 2009 to US$178 billion in 2022 – a growth of 370% since the creation of the group. BRICS Direct Foreign Investment stock in Brazil grew 167% between 2012 and 2021, reaching 34.2 billion dollars. Today, almost 400 companies from the block operate in Brazil.

After the last six years of setbacks and stagnation, Brazil will once again generate quality jobs, fight poverty and increase the income of Brazilian families. Two weeks ago I presented the new PAC – Growth Acceleration Program. The Plan provides for the resumption of paralyzed undertakings, acceleration of those in progress and selection of new projects. It is a broad program, with many opportunities that could be of interest to investors from the BRICS countries.

We expect to mobilize USD 340 billion for the modernization of our logistics infrastructure, with investments in roads, railways, waterways, ports and airports. We will also give priority to the generation of solar, wind, biomass, ethanol and biodiesel energy. Our potential for producing green hydrogen is enormous. We will establish partnerships between the government and business in all these areas, in the form of concessions, Public-Private Partnerships and direct contracts.

For investment to grow again and generate development, we need to ensure more credibility, predictability and legal stability for the private sector. For this reason, I have defended the idea of ​​adopting a reference unit of account for trade, which will not replace our national currencies.

The unmet financing needs of developing countries remain very high. The lack of substantive reforms of traditional financial institutions limits the volume and credit modalities of existing banks. The decision to establish the New Development Bank represented a milestone in effective collaboration among emerging economies. Our joint bank must be a global leader in financing projects that address the most pressing challenges of our time.

By diversifying sources of payment in local currencies, expanding its network of partners and expanding its membership, the NDB constitutes a strategic platform to promote cooperation between developing countries. In this strategy, engagement with the African Development Bank will be central. At the multilateral level, the BRICS stood out for being a force that works in favor of a fairer, more predictable and equitable global trade. 

We cannot accept a green neocolonialism that imposes trade barriers and discriminatory measures under the pretext of protecting the environment. As of December, Brazil will hold the presidency of the G20. The presence of three BRICS members in the G20 troika(브라질-인도-중국) will be a great opportunity for us to advance issues of interest to the Global South.

We already have the participation of South Africa, but the representativeness of the group will be expanded with the entry of the African Union and other countries of the continent.

Ladies and gentlemen, Upon returning to the presidency of my country, I am resuming the guidelines of Brazilian foreign policy. We started to rebuild South American integration. We resumed our partnerships with the United States, China and the European Union. We hosted the Summit of the Amazon Countries. 

We still lacked the return of Brazil to Africa. It is unacceptable that, in 2022, Brazil's trade with Africa has decreased by one third compared to 2013, when it was almost 30 billion dollars. The trade flow with Africa still corresponds to only 3.5% of Brazil's foreign trade. Our network of commercial agreements is also incipient. The Mercosur agreements with Southern Africa and Egypt date back to my second term. Today, more than 65% of Mercosur exports to Africa go to countries with which there is no agreement in force. There's plenty of room to grow. In addition to a past that unites us, we also share a common vision of the future. In my first two terms, the African continent was a priority. I've made twelve trips to Africa and been to twenty-one countries. Brazil is back on the continent it should never have left.

Africa has vast opportunities and enormous potential for growth. To discuss the relaunch of trade with the continent, Brazil brought together the heads of the trade promotion sectors of all our representations in African countries here in Johannesburg, last June. Africa is building an ambitious free trade zone project: 54 countries, 1.3 billion people and a GDP of over US$3 trillion. In this continent, which is the youngest in the world and will be the most populous in 2100, there are countless opportunities for Brazilian products such as food and beverages, oil, iron ore, vehicles and iron and steel manufactures.

Africa has 65% of the arable land available in the world and a strong vocation to be an agricultural power, with the capacity to feed its people and offer solutions for global food security. Combining investment and technology, Brazil has developed modern tropical agriculture techniques that can be successfully replicated. Through the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, we made the Cerrado an area of ​​high agricultural productivity and we can replicate this experience in the African Savannah.

My government also resumed public policies to support family farming, essential to fight food insecurity and hunger that affects our continents. The Mais Alimentos Program, which I relaunched last June, allows small producers to access financing for the purchase of tractors, implements and harvesters. As in the past, a version of More Food for Africa should be resumed as another aspect of Brazilian South-South cooperation.

Africa is also at the heart of the digital and energy transitions. Internet coverage already covers most of the African population and digital innovation centers and financial technology services companies are multiplying. The strengthening of the Brazilian health industrial complex can generate ample opportunities for collaboration.

Like South America, the African continent has important reserves of critical minerals, such as lithium and cobalt, which will play a strategic role. In order not to remain mere exporters of primary products, we must take the opportunity to forge the integration of our production chains and add value to the goods and services we produce in a sustainable manner. Africa is the region in the world that emits the least greenhouse gases. However, it does not stop facing the most perverse consequences of global warming, such as droughts, floods, fires and cyclones. Brazil and several African countries have comprehensive plans to renew their energy matrixes.

We share responsibility for caring for tropical forests and preserving biodiversity. We have in common the concern to combat processes of desertification. The environmental and ecosystem services that tropical forests provide the world must be rewarded fairly and equitably.

Sociobiodiversity products can generate jobs and income and offer alternatives to the predatory exploitation of natural resources. These are the pillars of the Ecological Transformation Plan that we will launch soon. For our economic and productive integration to flourish, it will be necessary to expand sea and air connections between the two sides of the Atlantic.

It is inexplicable that we still do not have direct flights between São Paulo and Johannesburg, Cairo or Dakar, essential for the increase in the flow of people, commerce and tourism. The BRICS Business Council's proposal to establish a multilateral agreement on air services for the group, with the main national transport and aviation authorities, is very pertinent.

Ladies and gentlemen, The BRICS have a unique chance to shape the trajectory of global development. You, entrepreneurs, are part of this effort. Our countries together make up a third of the world's economy. This relevance will grow with the entry of new full members and dialogue partners. Collaboration between the public and private sector is vital to harnessing this potential and achieving lasting results. Thank you very much.