The President of the Republic of Italy, Sergio Mattarella, landed in Brazil this Sunday (14) for a five-day visit.
On the first trip by an Italian head of state to the country in 24 years, the highlights will be the 150th anniversary of Italian immigration to Brazil and the dialogue between two major multilateral forums, as Brazil presides over the G20 (group of the 20 largest economies on the planet) and Italy presides over the G7 (group of the seven richest democratic countries).
Other topics of interest include the Mercosur-European Union agreement, tackling climate change, the energy transition, combating hunger and inequality, and the Brazilian proposal to tax the super-rich, a flagship of the Brazilian presidency of the G20. The visit is a reciprocal one. In June, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva traveled to Italy, where Brazil participated as a guest in the G7 meeting.
Mattarella is also expected to sign the renewal of the agreement on the reciprocal recognition of driver’s licenses. Memoranda of understanding are also expected to be signed between the University of Turin and the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa). In addition to Brasília, the Italian president will visit Rio Grande do Sul, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Salvador.
Mattarella’s visit comes at a time of rapprochement between the two countries. In the late 2000s, Brazil and Italy faced tensions over the extradition process of terrorist Cesare Battisti, as well as differences of view on the wars in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip.
The process of recognizing Italian citizenship for Brazilians of immigrant descent is another source of tension. In recent months, there have been reports of irregularities in the recognition processes and complaints from Italian city governments about excessive legal proceedings against Brazilians.
The rapprochement, however, has more of a symbolic and diplomatic effect. This is because, in the Italian parliamentary system, the President of the Republic has a symbolic role in several matters. Since 2022, the country has been governed by a right-wing and far-right coalition led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Italy, for example, does not support the proposal to tax the super-rich.
Schedule
The visit begins in Brasilia, where the Italian president will arrive on Sunday night. On Monday (15), Mattarella and Lula will have a working meeting at 10:30 am. The two will sign joint acts and make statements to the press. They will then have lunch at Itamaraty.
On Tuesday (16), Mattarella will travel to Rio Grande do Sul, one of the main strongholds of Italian immigrants in Brazil, where he will deliver a message of solidarity to the population affected by the floods in the state. According to the Italian Embassy in Brazil, the European country sent more than 25 tons of humanitarian aid items and equipment to the state.
Accompanied by Governor Eduardo Leite and President Lula, Mattarella will visit the Recomeço Humanitarian Reception Center in Canoas. There is a possibility that the Italian president will visit the city of Santa Tereza, in the Taquari River valley, one of the municipalities most affected by the rains.
On Wednesday (17), the Italian president will be in São Paulo. In the capital, he will visit the Immigration Museum and the Arsenal da Esperança organization, run by the Turin Youth Missionary Service, which provides assistance to the homeless population. At 4 pm, he will meet with around 200 representatives of the Italian community at the Circolo Italiano San Paolo.
On Thursday (18), Mattarella will travel to Rio de Janeiro, where he will speak at the Brazilian Center for International Relations. On Friday (19), the Italian head of state will end his trip in Salvador, with a visit to the Franciscan Community of Betânia.
Economy
Italy has around 1,000 Italian companies that generate 150,000 direct jobs in Brazil, but relations could expand. In 2023, Italy ranked 18th among the main foreign investors in Brazil, according to the Brazilian Central Bank (BC). Last year, Italian companies invested US$319 million in the country, compared to US$2.492 billion from companies in Spain, the fourth largest investor in Brazil in the same period.
Trade between the two countries also has potential for growth. From January to June this year, Brazil imported US$870.4 million more than it exported to Italy. The European country was only the 14th largest destination for Brazilian goods and ranked 6th in the import ranking.
Sales to Italy are dominated by commodities (primary goods with international quotations), with purchases led by manufactured products. In terms of exports, the main products sold to Italy in the first half of the year were cellulose, unroasted coffee and soybeans.
In terms of imports, the main highlights were medicines (veterinary and non-veterinary), vehicle parts and accessories, industrialized products and machinery for industry.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
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