Brazilian President Bolsonaro to begin four-day India visit from Friday

Brazilian President Jair Messias Bolsonaro will on Friday (January 24) begin a four-day visit to India, primarily as chief guest on Republic Day and also to explore ways to boost trade ties at a time both the large economies are hit by slowdowns.

On his first visit to India after assuming power, Bolsonaro will be accompanied by seven ministers, top officials and a large business delegation.

“President of Brazil Jair Messias Bolsonaro will be paying a state visit to India from January 24-27 at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He will be the chief guest at India’s 71st Republic Day Parade on January 26,” the External Affairs Ministry said.

“This visit is expected to further enhance and strengthen the multi-faceted ties between India-Brazil,” the ministry said.

Also read: Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro may be Republic Day chief guest

Brazilian presidents have graced the Republic Day Parade in 1996 and 2004.

On Saturday (January 25), President Ram Nath Kovind will hold talks with Bolsonaro and also host a banquet for him. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will also call on Bolsonaro.

On January 27, Bolsonaro will address a group of Indian and Brazilian business leaders at the India-Brazil Business Forum, according to the MEA.

India-Brazil ties have been on an upswing in the last few years.

The volume of bilateral trade was $8.2 billion in 2018-19. This included $3.8 billion worth of Indian exports to Brazil and $4.4 million as imports by India.

Also read: Brazil drops visa requirement for Indian tourists, businesspeople

“Both sides will focus on boosting trade and investment during the visit,” said an official.

Major Indian exports to Brazil include agro-chemicals, synthetic yarns, auto components and parts, pharmaceuticals and petroleum products. Brazilian exports to India include crude oil, gold, vegetable oil, sugar and bulk mineral and ores.

Brazilian investments in India are mainly in automobiles, IT, mining, energy and biofuels sectors. India has invested in Brazils IT, pharmaceutical, energy, agri-business, mining and engineering sectors.

Bilateral ties were elevated to a strategic partnership in 2006, heralding a new phase in India-Brazil relations. “The relations are strong not only at the bilateral level, but also at plurilateral fora such as BRICS, IBSA, G-20 and in multilateral bodies particularly the UN,” the MEA said.