Online Desk:  Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira arrived in Dhaka on Sunday morning to discuss bilateral issues and strengthen trade and investment ties with Bangladesh.

The Foreign Minister of South America’s most influential country will have a bilateral meeting with his Bangladeshi counterpart Hasan Mahmud this afternoon apart from his engagement with business leaders during his two-day official visit.

He will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday.

Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen received Mauro Vieira at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka upon his arrival.

The Brazilian minister will visit Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi 32 on Sunday afternoon to pay tribute to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman before his meeting with Hasan Mahmud.

The meeting between the two foreign ministers will be held at state guesthouse Jamuna — scheduled to begin at 4:45 pm on Sunday.

The two countries are likely to sign an agreement on technical cooperation after the meeting.

The two foreign ministers will jointly brief the media on the outcome of the bilateral meeting.

State Minister for Commerce Ahsanul Islam Titu will also meet the Brazilian Foreign Minister at his place of residence.

Hasan Mahmud will host an iftar and dinner in honour of his Brazilian counterpart on Sunday evening.

On Monday, the Brazilian Foreign Minister will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Ganabhaban. The meeting will begin at 10 am.

After his meeting with PM Hasina, Mauro Vieira will visit Square Pharmaceuticals facilities and Beximco Industrial Park in Gazipur.

On Monday afternoon, the Brazilian Foreign Minister is scheduled to deliver a lecture on Brazil’s priority areas at G20 as the current chair. The event will be held at Foreign Service Academy at 3 pm.

The Brazilian Foreign Minister together with a business delegation will meet business leaders in Dhaka.

Country’s apex trade body, FBCCI, will host an iftar and dinner in honour of the Brazilian Foreign Minister and business delegation members on Monday evening.

Brazil is keen to export beef to Bangladesh which will cost around Tk 500 per kg.

According to Brazil’s export data, the South American country sold beef to 126 countries in 2023. China and Hong Kong continue to be the top two destinations for Brazilian beef exports.

Foreign Minister Hasan described the visit of the Foreign Minister of Brazil as very significant.

“FBCCI will meet with them. We import edible oil and other products from Brazil. Our exports to South America remain largely unexplored,” he said.

Hasan said Brazil is a big country, and their purchasing power is also high. “So there is a great opportunity to increase trade relations with them.”

The government of Brazil earlier congratulated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on her recent election victory.

Brazil expressed its willingness to continue deepening relations with Bangladesh, in favour of the development of both countries, the promotion of South-South cooperation, and the fight against poverty, hunger, and climate crisis.

Brazil-Bangladesh diplomatic relations, established in 1972, have strengthened in recent years.

In 2023, President Lula and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina met on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in South Africa.

Last year, bilateral trade between Bangladesh and Brazil reached the US$2.3 billion mark.

The Brazilian Foreign Minister is scheduled to leave Dhaka at 11:55 pm on Monday. Additional Foreign Secretary (Bilateral) Dr Nazrul Islam will be at the Dhaka airport to see him off.