“This was an auspicious beginning to a negotiation process in which we will work to normalize and open new paths for bilateral relations,” said Mauro Vieira after meeting with Marco Rubio.
“I reiterated the Brazilian position, conveyed directly by President Lula to President Trump last week, on the need to reverse the measures adopted by the U.S. government since July,” he emphasized.
According to the head of Brazilian diplomacy, “a constructive attitude prevailed” between the two parties.
The meeting between the two was agreed upon last week during a phone conversation between Presidents Lula da Silva and Donald Trump, aimed at resolving the crisis generated by the additional 50% tariff that the United States imposed since August on the import of most Brazilian products.
In addition to the tariff sanction in retaliation for the alleged “witch hunt” targeting former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, sentenced to over 27 years in prison, the United States withdrew visas from several Supreme Federal Court judges and other Brazilian authorities.
According to Mauro Vieira, lifting these measures will require a negotiation process to begin in the coming days, with a schedule of meetings between different representatives of the two governments.
The Brazilian minister also mentioned that the possibility of a face-to-face meeting between the two presidents was discussed, but it will be defined according to the schedules of the heads of state.
“There is interest from both parties in a meeting between the presidents soon,” he stated when asked about the possibility of the meeting occurring next week in Malaysia, where Lula da Silva will travel to participate in the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) heads of state.
