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Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Thursday that he and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had emphasised the importance of the upcoming Brazil-India Business Forum over a phone conversation.
The forum is scheduled to take place amid Lula's state visit to India, coinciding with the inauguration of the Apex-Brasil office in New Delhi. In a post on X, Lula shared details of the discussion, noting his planned state visit to New Delhi from February 19 to 21 to advance the bilateral agenda between the two nations. "I spoke today by phone with the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi. We discussed the State visit I will make to New Delhi between February 19 and 21, as well as the bilateral agenda. We highlighted the importance of the Brazil-India Business Forum that will take place during my visit, which will also be marked by the inauguration of the APEX Office in New Delhi. We also exchanged views on the global situation, reiterating our commitment to defending peace in Gaza and in the world, multilateralism, and democracy," President Lula wrote on X. On Thursday, PM Modi spoke with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and said that close cooperation between India and Brazil was vital for advancing the shared interests of the Global South. The PM also said that he was looking forward to welcoming the BRICS ally to India soon. In a post on X, Prime Minister Modi said, "Glad to speak with President Lula. We reviewed the strong momentum in the India-Brazil Strategic Partnership, which is poised to scale new heights in the year ahead. Our close cooperation is vital for advancing the shared interests of the Global South. I look forward to welcoming him to India soon." In December 2025, India and Brazil signed a landmark tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance dairy cattle and buffalo genomics through a first-of-its-kind cross-continental genetic improvement programme. The MoU and the corresponding Technical Cooperation Project (PCT) were signed at the Embassy of India in Brasilia between Embrapa, Brazil's state-owned agricultural research organisation under the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Food Supply (MAPA), Fazenda Floresta & DNAMark (Brazil), and India's Leads Genetics Pvt Ltd (formerly Leads Agri Genetics Pvt Ltd), BL Kamdhenu Farms Ltd, and Leads Connect Services Pvt Ltd. The agreement marks the first-ever business-to-government (B2G) collaboration between India and Brazil in bovine genomics. It also represents Embrapa's first private partnership with an Indian organisation, reflecting a strategic convergence in livestock and agricultural innovation, food security priorities, and shared global leadership in cattle genetics. In another significant engagement, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, during his official visit to Brazil in December 2025, met Celso Amorim, Chief Advisor to the President of Brazil, and Jose Mucio Monteiro, Brazil's Minister of Defence, according to a statement by the Indian Navy. The discussions included a comprehensive review of expanding India-Brazil defence engagement, with a focus on strengthening strategic cooperation and enhancing bilateral defence ties. "Both sides also explored opportunities in defence industry collaboration and capability-building initiatives to support long-term interoperability and shared security objectives. Deliberations on regional and global dynamics - including the South Atlantic, the wider Indo-Pacific, and the collective role of the Global South- highlighted the shared vision of India and Brazil for a secure, stable, and rules-based international order. These high-level engagements reaffirmed the growing strategic convergence and the mutual commitment to elevate India-Brazil defence cooperation under the spirit of Bridges of Friendship," the statement added. (ANI)
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