Bolsonaro to attend G20 summit meeting in Japan

President Jair Bolsonaro flew to Japan to take part in a meeting with leaders of G20, the group created in 1999 with the 19 biggest economies in the world plus the European Union.

According to the president’s spokesman Otávio Rêgo Barros, the main challenges to be discussed are international trade; commercial tensions affecting growth and investment as a result of uncertainties; unilateralism and multilateralism versus protectionism.

Permanent topics—financial and economic stability, energy, and social inequality—will also be debated.

Barros noted that Brazil will argue for an overhaul at the World Trade Organization aimed at making international trade more balanced. The country also apposes making rules industrial subsidies more milited.

“Brazil talks about any team, but if they make the rules for industrial subsidies more limited, Brazil will propose rules for agricultural subsidies,” he said, adding the topic has not been brought to discussion and the Brazilian government has the right to reveal its intentions.

Some specific issues brought forward by the Japanese president will also be addressed during the assembly, like plastic in the sea, population aging and decline, society 5.0, infrastructure with economic balance and environmental sustainability, data flow, artificial intelligence, and anti-corruption policies.

Bilateral meetings

The Brazilian entourage landed on Tuesday evening (Jun 25) and is expected to arrive in Osaka, where the gathering is to take place, on Thursday at 1:35 pm local time.

In the same evening, Bolsonaro will have a private dinner. On Friday (28), the G20 summit engagements begin. In addition to plenary sessions, parallel meetings should take place on digital economy and women’s empowerment.

On Friday morning, Bolsonaro should meet World Bank President David Malpass and receive a trophy from the leaders of the Chamber of Commerce and the Japanese Industry of Brazil.

The Brazilian president will also attend meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Prime Ministers of India Narendra Modi and Singapore Lee Hsien-Loong, and Mohammed bin Salman, crown prince of Saudi Arabia.

Brics

An informal meeting with Brics leaders (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) is also expected to take place simultaneously, on essentially economic topics in the fields of innovation, digital technology, and energy.

As pro tempore president of Brics, Brazil will focus on inner cooperation and initiatives that can make a difference in the lives of the people in member countries, like the introduction of break milk banks.

The presidential entourage in Japan is formed by General Augusto Heleno, head of the Office for Institutional Security; Secretary-General of the Foreign Ministry Otávio Brandelli; Executive Secretaries of the Economy Ministry Marcelo Guaranys and the Office of the Chief of Staff, José Santini.

The president and his team will leave Osaka on Saturday (29) at 5:50 pm local time and should be back in Brazil on Monday (Jul 1).