Brazil vice-President: Africa a priority for Brazil’s int’l stance

Brazil’s vice-President Hamilton Mourão said today (Nov. 12) Africa plays a crucial role for Brazil’s stance on the global stage. “Africa is a perennial priority for our external situation. As Brazil recovers from a severe crisis, this approximation recovers its natural significance,” he said at the opening ceremony of the 2019 Brazil–Africa Forum. He pledged to visit African countries in March 2020.

African countries, experiencing as they are an increase in both their economy and urban population, he argued, offer opportunities for the expansion of Brazilian companies. “The concentration of this population in urban areas will demand bulky investments in infrastructure, energy, transport, and food production,” he pointed out.

Some Brazilian firms, Mourão went on to say, have sought to gain ground in African markets. “A number of Brazilian companies active in the international market have expertise in construction, energy, and food production. Some have been in African markets for years now,” he added.

Global instability

African countries represent an opportunity within a global context of little economic growth, Mourão believes. “The global economy has faced a slowdown, stemming chiefly from commercial tensions, unemployment, and indebtedness in several countries, companies, and families. In this global context, extremely complex as it is, Africa stands out as the continent where economy grows the most,” he argued.

In addition to economic difficulties, Mourão listed other factors that have brought about uncertainties in the international landscape. “All nations, even the most developed ones, have been constantly on alert. We’re witnessing a transition from the post–Second World War political and economic model to a model yet to be known, and that could take decades before it takes full shape,” he said.

“On the other hand, conflicts break out in every region, as transnational threats multiply, including epidemics, migratory outbreaks, cyber wars, organized crime, as well as environment and climate catastrophes. Countless phenomena have challenged the ability of states and make populations insecure,” he declared.

In this connection, Mourão stressed Brazil has worked to adapt to a variety of conditions with a result-oriented approach. “Our country has sought to work flexibly and pragmatically in today’s context of global instability.”