Ambassador of Brazil to Belarus: Belarusians and Brazilians have much in common

Despite the geographical distance and in spite of the sanctions policy of the West, the trade and economic relations between Belarus and Brazil continue to show stability. The external pressure has only strengthened the spirit of our cooperation. Minsk and Brazil celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations this year. 

In his interview to "Panorama" the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Brazil to Belarus told about the the framework of the bilateral relations.

Yana Mendeleva, correspondent: Mr. Ambassador, what are your first impressions of Belarus? Do the Belarusian and Brazilian peoples have something in common?

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federative Republic of Brazil to the Republic of Belarus, Bernard Jörg Leopold de Garcia Klingl: It's a great honor for me to be here and to address the Belarusian people. In fact, Belarus and Brazil have a lot in common. Both Belarusians and Brazilians are friendly and peaceful people, who historically occupy an important place in their region.

Correspondent: It's been 30 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Minsk and Brazil. By world standards this is not so long, nevertheless today Brazil is one of the leading trade partners of Belarus in the Latin American region. What is the basis of our bilateral relations and how do you see the future of the Belarusian-Brazilian cooperation?

Bernard Jörg Leopold de Garcia Klingl: I find the bilateral relations very positive. Brazil is one of the first countries, which got closer to independent Belarus 30 years ago. For many years,  the trade and economic relations between Belarus and Brazil was  based on  the goods, strategic for both Belarus and Brazil. Over the years, Brazil has become one of the top ten economic partners of Belarus. First of all, it happened due to two main commodities: potash, which is delivered from Belarus to Brazil, and Brazilian planes, which are delivered to Belarus. The prospects for our cooperation are very broad. Brazil grows a lot of fruit and is also a big supplier in the markets of mechanical engineering, equipment, metallurgy, and pharmaceutical products. 

Correspondent: The countries of the European Union are closing their borders for Belarusians and Russians and imposing new restrictions on border crossing. How are the relations between Latin American countries, Brazil in particular, and Belarus developing in the light of the Western sanctions? Can travel lovers focus on the Latin American region? What are the prospects for cooperation in tourism sphere?

Bernard Jörg Leopold de Garcia Klingl: Imposing sanctions affect trade relations but also affect tourism. In this regard, Belarusian and Brazilian diplomats need to work actively to circumvent the sanctions, which were originally intended for the European and North American markets, but which also affect us.  The bilateral relations between Brazil and Belarus are at a high level, which is reflected in the absence of a short-term tourist visa between our countries. As part of strengthening bilateral relations, the development of tourism is a priority. 

The problem is that travel to Brazil is very expensive because of restrictions. In our opinion, these sanctions are absolutely destabilizing and unfair. These unilateral sanctions affect countries all over the world.