Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stressed, Thursday in Brasilia, Morocco’s commitment to decarbonizing its economy, a policy that is part of the energy and digital transitions taking place in Africa.
“Several African countries have comprehensive plans to renew their energy mixes and have a strong interest in bioenergy. Countries like South Africa, Morocco and Kenya are committed to decarbonizing their economies,” Lula said in remarks at a ceremony marking Africa Day and the closing of the “Brazil- Africa: Reviving Partnerships”.
Africa, he added, “is at the heart of energy and digital transitions. Like South America, the African continent has significant reserves of critical minerals, such as lithium and cobalt, which will play a strategic role” in this area.
For him, the African continent is the region of the world that emits the least greenhouse gases. “However, it continues to face the most perverse consequences of global warming, such as droughts, floods, fires and cyclones,” lamented the Brazilian head of state.
Furthermore, Lula Da Silva noted that the current dynamism of Africa requires that Brazil update its policy for the continent. “Africa is one of the fastest growing regions in the world. Its relevance in global trade is expressive,” he said, reaffirming Brazil’s support for the African Union’s entry into the G20.
He did not fail to reiterate his criticisms of the current structure of the UN Security Council. “It is worrying that he is increasingly speaking out on issues that affect everyone, such as climate or health, without a large part of the world being properly represented there,” he noted, stating that “Brazil has fought for developing countries to have a permanent seat in the organization. This includes, of course, African countries.”
The Brazilian president also affirmed Brazil’s interest in the African Continental Free Trade Area, which will come into force in 2021, which is the largest in the world, with 1.3 billion inhabitants and a gross domestic product of around $4 trillion. Brazil’s two-way trade with Africa in 2022 was a third less than in 2013, when the flow reached nearly $30 billion, he noted.
“Our relationship with Africa is a state policy that permeates all of Brazilian society. It will be deployed as a priority by the various ministerial portfolios, with the active engagement of academia, the media and civil society”, assured Lula, adding that Brazil must “extend its presence in Africa in a sustainable way”, with the opening of embassies, cultural centers and offices of Brazilian trade, research and training institutions.
“It also means supporting the internationalization of Brazilian companies, in order to respond to the African call for investment and generate knowledge, jobs and income”, he further said.
The President also mentioned common agendas and partnership opportunities on environmental issues, energy transition, communication, access to health and the fight against hunger.
On the other hand, Lula stressed the importance of promoting racial equality seeing it as a continuous axis linking national policies to international activities, reiterating his rejection of the racist attacks against the Brazilian footballer Vinicius Júnior of Real Madrid, last Sunday during a match against Valencia counting for the Spanish football championship. “We will not tolerate racism neither against Brazilians nor against Africans in Brazil,” he insisted.
“The relaunch of the relationship with Africa is also a reunion of Brazil with itself. We reaffirm our deep pride in the continent’s central role in national identity. Recognizing the value of our African roots means celebrating Africa’s contribution to our culture, whether in national policies or in actions to disseminate Brazilian culture abroad. It is also a question of renewing our links through education, of training a new generation of young Africans in Brazil,” underlined President Lula.
And to add that “the revival of the relationship with Africa is also a reconciliation of Brazil with itself. We reaffirm our deep pride in the continent’s central role in national identity. Recognizing the value of our African roots means celebrating Africa’s contribution to our culture, whether in national policies or in actions to disseminate Brazilian culture abroad”.
For four days, participants in the seminar, organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, discussed issues on development cooperation, educational exchanges, gender equality, entrepreneurship, social inclusion, creative economy , diversity and contemporary international challenges.