Matteo Salvini received Brazilian Chancellor Ernesto Araújo in Rome, this Wednesday
Foreign Minister Ernesto Araújo concluded his visit to Rome, Italy, on Wednesday (8). In the Italian capital, the Brazilian chancellor held meetings to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries and encourage investments and exports. The visit ended with a meeting with the Minister of the Interior and far-right leader, Matteo Salvini.
During his three-day stay in the Italian capital, Ernesto Araújo did not give any interviews. At the request of RFI Brasil, he sent an audio message via WhatsApp with a statement about his visit. “I would like to highlight the conversation with Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini. Between Brazil and Italy, we have a very common and close vision that will also be very productive,” said the chancellor.
https://twitter.com/matteosalvinimi/status/1126147471095287809
Matteo Salvini, Minister of the Interior and Deputy Prime Minister, leader of the League, a far-right party, received Ernesto Araújo and the Brazilian delegation late this Wednesday afternoon, at the headquarters of the Ministry of the Interior, Viminale. During the meeting, they talked about Salvini's announced visits to Brazil and President Bolsonaro's visits to Italy. The dates of these possible trips have not yet been announced.
Shortly after the meeting, Salvini published a message on Twitter and four photos: “Happy to have met the Brazilian Foreign Minister @ernestofaraujo today at @Viminale. Great harmony and great friendship between our governments and our people.”
Salvini has supported Jair Bolsonaro since the campaign for the presidential elections in Brazil. The deputy prime minister of Italy celebrated the Brazilian's victory at the polls in the first round, last October. The two exchanged compliments on several occasions. Bolsonaro promised to visit Italy soon.
Last April 19, the president's son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, met with the leader of the ultranationalist party in Milan. On the occasion, they both spoke about the European elections, immigration and the recently approved law in Italy on self-defense that relaxes carrying a weapon.
Defender
On Tuesday (7), the Brazilian chancellor met with the Minister of Defense, Elisabetta Trenta. According to his press secretary, diplomat João Alfredo dos Anjos Junior, Minister Araújo spoke, in addition to bilateral cooperation in air defense, about the KC-390, the military cargo plane manufactured by Embraer. “Brazil wants Italy to consider the possibility of future acquisitions of the KC-390” said the advisor.
In this sector, there are several contracts already signed between Italy and Brazil. Among them is the agreement between the Italian company Leonardo (through its subsidiary Telespazio Brasil) with Petrobras for satellite monitoring of oil platforms. However, in another partnership, the Italian company Fincantieri lost, earlier this year, the Brazilian tender for the construction of four advanced multipurpose combat corvettes, known as the Tamandaré Class Corvette project.
Strategic partnership
On Tuesday morning, the chancellor met with businesspeople from Enea, Fiat, Pirelli, TIM, Ferrovie dello Stato and representatives from Confindustria (Confederation of Italian businesspeople and industrialists).
According to Itamaraty, Brazil and Italy have maintained a strategic partnership since 2007. In 2018, there was 7% growth in bilateral trade, which exceeded US$8 billion. Italy is one of the largest individual investors in the country and has more than 1.200 companies operating in Brazilian territory.
As announced by the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the objective of Araújo's trip was to discuss the main topics on the bilateral agenda, such as trade, investments, cooperation and regional and global issues. Furthermore, it aims to encourage Brazilian exports of aircraft and defense materials, such as Embraer aircraft and weapons, to the countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Vatican
The Brazilian Foreign Minister was received by the Secretary of State of the Holy See, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, at the Vatican this Wednesday morning. In a statement to Vatican News after the hearing, the minister stated: “The conversations in the Vatican were very useful in gaining more clarity about the shared views regarding the international political situation.”
Then, Ernesto Araujo met the Secretary for International Relations, Monsignor Paul Richard Gallagher.
Araújo is now heading to Budapest, where he will meet on Thursday (9) with members of the government of Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán. The Brazilian chancellor's trip will end on Friday (10), in Poland, with a meeting with representatives from Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki's office.
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