By Marinel E. Peroy
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will attend the 47th ASEAN Summit in October, marking the first time a Brazilian head of state will join the annual meeting, said Brazil’s Ambassador to the Philippines Gilberto Fonseca Guimarães de Moura at the reception for his country’s 203rd year of independence.
The envoy said Lula accepted an invitation from Malaysia, this year’s ASEAN chair, as Brazil steps up engagement with the region.
He also reaffirmed Brazil’s support for Timor-Leste’s accession to ASEAN, calling the country “Brazil’s youngest brother.”
Timor-Leste is expected to formally become the Association’s 11th member at the summit.
The ambassador sees “important opportunities for cooperation in strategic areas” in the region, including sustainable energy, food security, or climate change.
He said, “We welcome ASEAN’s participation at COP-30 with its own pavilion, and we look forward to the Brazil-ASEAN Sustainability Dialogues,” expected to take place in 2026, under the ASEAN presidency of the Philippines.
The ambassador noted the Global South’s ability to deliver fair and cooperative solutions.
“In a turbulent international scenario, the Brazil-ASEAN partnership is a source of stability and optimism,” he said.
“In the face of polarization and the threat of fragmentation, a steadfast defense of multilateralism remains the only path forward,” he added.
The ambassador said that to date, ASEAN is Brazil’s fifth-largest trading partner and the fourth-largest destination for exports.
“The current administration of Brazil has made a priority to move closer to ASEAN [especially in] deepening institutional ties and significantly increasing high-level exchanges,” de Moura said.