This Thursday (23), the eve of the date that marks one year since the Russian invasion of Ukrainian territory, the Brazilian Foreign Minister, Mauro Vieira, highlighted Brazil’s commitment to the United Nations (UN) for the construction of a peace agreement between the two countries. “Brazil had an important participation, a suggestion of adding a significant paragraph in the resolution that calls for the cessation of hostilities”, said the chancellor about the text that should be voted on today at the UN General Assembly. “I think it is an important step, the first resolution on the system in which there is a contribution, a fact as important as urging the parties to cease hostilities and create a space for negotiating a peace process”, added Vieira. At the end of January, the German Federal Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, visited Brazil, and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva proposed that Brazil join, together with China, a kind of “peace club” to mediate the end of the conflict. Brazil’s position is not to send ammunition to the Ukrainian army’s tanks. In the evaluation of the Brazilian government, the measure would be understood as a participation of Brazil in the war. Vieira added that peace will not be instantaneous, it will be a process and it will not be just one country that can do it. The ambassador recalled that President Lula has always proposed that a group of countries with prominence on the international scene be able to speak with both sides, to promote an understanding that would foster peace after a year of war. EU and Mercosur After receiving at the Itamaraty Palace, this morning, the Portuguese Minister of Foreign Affairs, João Gomes Cravinho, the Brazilian Chancellor said he hoped that the negotiations to unlock the agreement between Mercosur and the European Union (EU) would come out as soon as possible . Cravinho is in Brasília to prepare for the Portuguese-Brazilian summit, which Portugal will host between the 22nd and 25th of April. The event in Portugal marks the first trip of the Brazilian president to Europe in this mandate. “Portuguese support in these negotiations is important. For our part, it is important to move forward”, evaluated Vieira. He highlighted President Lula’s expectation of concluding the agreement by the middle of the year, but he was patient due to the complexity of the talks. “We hope that it can happen due to the importance and size of the agreement and we count on the continued support of Portugal. Ideally, we would be able to meet these deadlines, but we also understand that if a little more time is needed, we will dedicate the time that is needed, given the broad scope of the agreement and the final details that still need to be defined.” Approved in 2019, after 20 years of negotiations, the Mercosur-EU agreement needs to be ratified by the parliaments of all countries in both blocs to enter into force. The ratification is blocked in the parliaments of European nations due to criticism of the Brazilian environmental policy adopted during the government of former President Jair Bolsonaro. In practice, it means that the agreement will have to be approved by the parliaments and national governments of the 31 countries involved, a procedure that could take years and face resistance. President Lula himself defends changes in points of the free trade agreement, such as government purchases. The agreement will allow for the elimination or reduction of import tariffs on products traded between the two blocs, in a market of 780 million people, which represents 20% of the world’s GDP. Visa Alongside the Portuguese minister, Mauro Vieira also celebrated the fact that Brazilians and citizens of African nations in the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP) will automatically have residence permits in Portugal. The measure, which is about to come into effect, grants automatic authorization valid for one year to immigrants who express an interest in residing in the country. This manifestation is supported by employment contracts. The facility in the concession is foreseen in the Mobility Agreement between the Member States of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP), of 2022. more to a bigger, more important role, more present in the communities of both countries”, explained Vieira. Another point highlighted by the minister is the positive impact that the measure will have on the Brazilian community in Portugal, which currently has between 280 and 300 thousand people. He recalled that the authorization will allow Brazilians to stay in Portugal in a regular basis and that these visas are separate from other types of visas, such as those for students and those looking for work in Portugal, with a duration of 120 days. “These CPLP visas are specific and will facilitate the reception of the Brazilian community and will also create, on our side, the need to better equip the Brazilian consular system to better serve this community”, he highlighted.
Agência Brasil
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