Brazil President in India tomorrow, bilateral ties set for big boost

Apart from collaborations in sectors like energy, biofuel, agriculture and defence, India will take up the issue of terrorism with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro during his four-day visit here.

New Delhi [India], Jan 23 : Apart from collaborations in sectors like energy, biofuel, agriculture and defence, India will take up the issue of terrorism with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro during his four-day visit here.

This Republic Day, India will host Bolsonaro as the Chief Guest for the Republic Day parade as part of its outreach initiative towards the southern Ameican nation.

The Brazilian President will be on a state visit to India from January 24 to 27, his first high-level visit to India.

The visit is also considered to be significant as the two countries are a part of the BRICS and are working together to see how to move forward at the United Nations and consult each other regularly on important issues.

It is worth mentioning here that Brazil has also supported India's candidature for a non-permanent member of the Security Council for 2021-22.

Bolsonaro is understood to have been invited as he is an elected leader of an emerging powerful democratic country with which India has substantive relations.

This is the third time that a Brazilian President has been invited at the Republic Day. Last time, the Brazilian President as the Chief Guest for the Republic Day parade was invited in 2004.

During the high profile visit, Bolsonaro will be accomped by eight ministers, four MPs and senior officials and a large business delegation.

On the first day of his arrival on Friday, the President will be accorded a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan and then will visit the Rajghat.Official talks with Prime minister Narendra Modi will also take place. The two leaders will hold an exchange of agreements and press statements.

Prime Minister Modi will be hosting lunch for the visiting delegation. President Ram Nath Kovind will host a banquet at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The Brazilian President and Prime Minister Modi have met twice earlier. First on the sidelines of G20 in June and second at BRICS summit in November.

"We have a warm and friendly relationship. Our bilateral relationship was elevated to the level of strategic partnership in 2006. As two developing countries, we share aspirations," said a spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs said."Relations are strong at a plurilateral level as both are members of BRICS and G20. Brazil, the largest population in Latin America -- 210 million -- is a 1.8 trillion US dollars economy," added the spokesperson.

"We have political, economic, defence cooperation with Brazil. Our economic engagements are growing. Our trade is currently at 8.2 billion US dollars," he said.

India exports goods worth about US dollars 3.8 billion including pharmaceutical, agro products, synthetic yarn and some petroleum products to Brazil while New Delhi imports goods worth US dollars 4.4 billion from Brasilia.

Responding to why did India invite him despite the controversy surrounding him, MEA Secretary (East) Vijay Thakur Singh said: "President Bolsonaro is an elected leader in a democratic country and is emerging as a powerful one. It is a country we have substantive relations. We give great importance to engage with Brazil."

( With inputs from ANI )