President of Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva welcomed Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on his first visit to the country, the Associated Press reported , quoted by BTA.
Brazil wants to use the bilateral meetings to push through an agreement to open Japanese markets to Brazilian beef, a goal the Latin American country has been pursuing since 2005.
"I don't know what you had for dinner last night," Lula addressed Kishida during their joint press conference in the Brazilian capital. "Please take Prime Minister Fumio to eat steak at the best restaurant in Sao Paulo so that next week he can start importing our beef," added the Brazilian president.
Under Lula, Brazil increased its efforts to export beef to international markets. Since early 2023, when he took office, 50 countries, mostly in Asia, have lifted their restrictions on imports from Brazil. According to Brazilian officials, about 70% of the beef consumed in Japan is imported, with 80% coming from the US and Australia.
"Our meat is cheaper and better quality than what you buy. "I don't even know the price, but I'm sure ours is cheaper and it's extremely good quality," Lula added.
According to official trade data, Brazil exported more than 900 tons of beef in 2023, slightly more than the previous year's record. The Latin American country is the largest exporter of beef in the world and exports and covers more than 90 countries.
Livestock farming, however, is one of the main drivers of the destruction of the Amazon and Cerrado rainforests, notes AP. Japan and Brazil agreed that Tokyo would support efforts to rebuild the affected Cerrado areas. The two countries also concluded additional cooperation agreements in the field of cyber security, investments, etc.
"There is great potential in our bilateral cooperation to address global challenges," Kishida told reporters after his meeting with Lula.
The Japanese Prime Minister added that he expects the strengthening of bilateral cooperation in the field of ecology and the fight against climate change. He also mentioned his country's recent contribution of $3,000,000 to the Brazilian government's fund to protect the Amazon rainforest. Kishida also noted that 150 Japanese language executives are accompanying him during his visit.
Brazil is home to over 2.7 million Japanese and their descendants. The first ships from the Asian country arrived in Brazil in 1908, and the peak of immigration was between the First and Second World Wars.
In the afternoon, Kishida will travel to Paraguay, where he will participate in a high-level business meeting, hold talks with representatives of the Japanese community and have dinner with President Santiago Peña. On Saturday morning, he is expected to fly back to Brazil to meet with the Japanese community in Sao Paulo, give a speech to students and attend a business meeting.