Brazil-Malaysia Ties Set For Boost With Lula’s October Visit

By Rohani Mohd Ibrahim & Norsyafawati Ab Wahab

KUALA LUMPUR, July 9 (Bernama) -- Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s upcoming visit to Malaysia in October is set to mark a new chapter in Brazil-Malaysia relations, which are currently experiencing a particularly dynamic phase.

Brazil’s Secretary-General of Foreign Affairs Maria Laura da Rocha said Lula’s visit, the first by a Brazilian Head of State to Malaysia in nearly three decades, would mark the culmination of this positive momentum and elevate Brazil-Malaysia relations to an unprecedented level. 

“It will be a historic milestone, the first time a Brazilian President participates in an ASEAN Summit, and a sign of Brazil’s growing engagement with Southeast Asia,” she told Bernama on the sidelines of the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) and related meetings here.

Lula has accepted Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s invitation to attend the 47th ASEAN Summit here this October as guest of the ASEAN Chair, marking a significant expansion of ASEAN’s outreach to Latin America.

Rocha, who led the Brazilian delegation to the Second Brazil-ASEAN Trilateral Meeting in the federal capital on Tuesday, said the engagement with ASEAN reflects a state policy that has gained renewed momentum under Lula’s administration.

“Our discussions in the trilateral meeting were highly productive. We reviewed the progress of the Brazil-ASEAN Sectoral Dialogue Partnership and exchanged views on new and promising areas of collaboration,” she said.

Brazil, the only Sectoral Dialogue Partner of ASEAN from Latin America and the Caribbean, has intensified its engagement with the region since the partnership was formalised in 2022.

Since 2023, Brazil and ASEAN have convened two trilateral meetings and three sessions of the ASEAN-Brazil Joint Sectoral Cooperation Committee (AB-JSCC), launching results-oriented projects under the 2024-2028 Practical Cooperation Areas.

Among the flagship initiatives is the Brazil-ASEAN Bioenergy Cooperation Initiative, now entering its second phase, focusing on sustainable energy transition, she noted.

On the bilateral front, Brazil-Malaysia ties are witnessing a particularly dynamic phase, Rocha said, citing increased trade, reciprocal ministerial visits, and deeper economic engagement.

“Bilateral trade approached USD6 billion in 2024. Malaysian companies are investing in Brazil’s energy sector, while Brazilian firms are expanding in Malaysia’s mining and logistics sectors,” she said.

Meanwhile, she noted that ASEAN is now Brazil’s fifth largest trading partner, with trade volume exceeding USD37 billion in 2024. 

Visiting Malaysia for the first time, Rocha expressed personal admiration for the KLCC Park, designed by Brazil’s iconic landscape artist Roberto Burle Marx, which sits adjacent to the venue of the AMM.

“KLCC Park is a symbol of what Brazil and Malaysia can achieve together — beauty, biodiversity, and sustainability through international cooperation,” she said.

According to Rocha, the KLCC Park is a living legacy that connects two nations in a unique and beautiful way and a testament to the lasting cultural bonds. 

KLCC Park is Marx’s only project in Asia and is widely regarded as his final work. The park was completed and opened in 1998, four years after his passing.

-- BERNAMA