President Lee Jae Myung and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Feb. 23 hold an extended summit at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul.

By Kim Hyelin
Photos = Cheong Wa Dae

President Lee Jae Myung and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Feb. 23 in their summit at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul agreed to upgrade bilateral ties forged in 1959 to the level of a strategic partnership.

President Lula is his country's first leader to make a state visit to Korea in 21 years.

Both sides adopted a joint four-year action plan (2026-29) as a blueprint for future cooperation. This comprehensive roadmap covers politics, economy, private sector exchanges and substantive cooperation and includes specific implementation mechanisms in line with the higher level of bilateral ties.

In trade and economy, the two presidents agreed on the need to resume as soon as possible negotiations on a trade agreement with Mercosur, the Southern Common Market, the largest economic bloc in South America whose full members include Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay.

They also agreed to bolster cooperation in future industries by discussing key topics like supply chain cooperation in aerospace, aviation and the defense industry and that in key minerals such as rare earth elements.

"Cooperation in aviation supply chains is underway, with our parts companies taking part in the production of Brazilian transport aircraft," President Lee said. "We will elevate cooperation in areas like the joint development of next-generation civil aircraft."

The meeting also covered a range of views on security and global issues.

In a statement, both leaders shared the view that "peace on the Korean Peninsula deeply influences peace not just in Northeast Asia but around the world," agreeing on the importance of responding to climate change and strengthening multilateralism.

They also discussed expansion of cultural and people-to-people exchanges, specifically in content sectors like joint productions of movies and videos and student exchanges.

Mentioning the influence of Brazilian culture, President Lee said, "Bossa nova classics have inspired many K-pop composers."

At the conclusion of the talks, President Lula stressed the shared journey of democratization between both countries and invited President Lee to the summit In Defense of Democracy in April in Barcelona, Spain. He also requested that President Lee visit Brazil in the near future.

President Lee Jae Myung (right) and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Feb. 23 hold a joint news conference at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul.