Brazil's Lula Plans Bangladesh Visit to Strengthen Bilateral Ties

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has confirmed his intention to conduct an official visit to Bangladesh by February 2025, signaling strengthened diplomatic engagement between the two nations. The announcement emerged during bilateral discussions with Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on the sidelines of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization's World Food Forum flagship event in Rome, where President Lula accepted Yunus's formal invitation for the forthcoming diplomatic mission.

President Lula explicitly affirmed "I will go to Bangladesh," while expressing Brazil's interest in sharing its expertise in establishing universal healthcare systems and learning from Bangladesh's pioneering initiatives in social business and microcredit development. Both leaders delivered keynote addresses at the international forum before convening for detailed bilateral discussions at FAO headquarters, addressing shared priorities including social business models, universal healthcare implementation, social inclusion strategies, and poverty reduction methodologies.

The bilateral dialogue explored potential collaboration across multiple sectors including deep-sea fishing operations, pharmaceutical development with particular emphasis on creating patent-free and affordable vaccine access, and climate change initiatives ahead of the upcoming COP30 summit. The leaders additionally addressed Bangladesh's recent youth-led political developments from July 2024, reflecting comprehensive diplomatic engagement extending beyond traditional economic cooperation to encompass social and political dimensions.

President Lula extended a formal invitation for Chief Adviser Yunus to participate in the COP30 climate summit, scheduled for hosting in an Amazonian state to highlight global rainforest conservation efforts. Meanwhile, Yunus conducted separate diplomatic meetings with Djibouti's Prime Minister Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed and Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri, indicating Bangladesh's expanding international engagement across multiple diplomatic fronts during the Rome forum proceedings.