Palácio do Planalto from Brasilia, Brazil, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva celebrated his 80th birthday this Monday amid a busy international agenda. During his participation in the ASEAN summit in Malaysia, the president took advantage of the opportunity to build bridges with U.S. President Donald Trump, with whom he said he had had "a frank and positive conversation" about a possible bilateral trade agreement.
"Trump assured me that we can move forward on a trade pact between Brazil and the United States sooner than anyone imagines," Lula told international media, expressing optimism about a period of greater cooperation between the two countries.
The meeting, which took place on the sidelines of the high-level meetings in Kuala Lumpur, surprised analysts due to the conciliatory tone adopted by both leaders. Trump described the Brazilian president as "a very vigorous man," while Lula emphasized that, despite ideological differences, there is "a real opportunity for mutually beneficial understanding."
The rapprochement marks a change in tone compared to previous years, when relations between Washington and Brazil were marked by trade and political tensions. Lula now seeks to position his country as a strategic partner for both the United States and Asia, in a global context of economic competition and reconfiguration of alliances.
In addition to his diplomatic commitments, the president received tributes from international leaders for his eight decades of life and for his historic role in Latin American politics. "Completing 80 years working for dialogue and democracy is my greatest gift," Lula said at the close of the day.
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