Ambassador of Brazil

Ambassador of Brazil

A complete row of his bookshelf was full of different models of aircraft, as if he is too fond of them. The Ambassador of Brazil, Mr. Marco Antônio Diniz Brandão has reasons to be fond of these aircraft. They are produced in his country. In fact, Brazil is the third largest aircraft producer in the world -- a nation which has a strong growing economy in Latin America, perhaps the strongest in the region. THE BLUE MOON Editor, Amit Mittal learnt more about this nation from the Ambassador. Some excerpts:

TBM : Coming up the stairs to your office, I noticed pictures of Indian leaders, going back to President Dr. Radhakrishnan when I was a school kid. They go to prove the ties India has with Brazil.

Ambassador : There are similarities between the two countries (India and Brazil); territorially they are very big countries, they are peace loving, big democracies. They are big economies which are growing, this is a good sign. They are key world economies. We (Brazil and India) coordinate in international fora like IBSA (India, Brazil and South Africa) and BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China). IBSA is a tripartite initiative between India, Brazil and South Africa where we work for common goals together, talking lot about joint areas – scientific, technical, rural, cultural – there is a large spectrum of subjects between the three. We have a joint fund for development in IBSA to help countries like Palestine, Lagos. We take up good social projects like hospitals, agricultural development, desalination among others.

We also organize joint military exercises – navy manouvres on sea.

TBM : Do you think that IBSA’s role will be effected by political changes in any of the member nations?

Ambassador : No, there will be no effect of any political change in any cooperating country. We are going to have a new President in coming January, but emphasis on cooperation will grow.

TBM : What are the prospects of growth of trade between India and Brazil?

Ambassador : The bilateral trade with India stands somewhere around six billion US Dollars. However, the balance is in favour of Brazil. This trade is too small. It should be increased. We want to reach 10 billion USD.

TBM : What are the major imports and exports between the two that can go up further?

Ambassador : India buys aircraft from Brazil, sugar is also imported, sometimes Brazil buys diesel from India. Brazil also buys machinery and chemicals from India for its pharmaceutical industry. We also have a joint project with DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation ) with whom we are developing a military aircraft under a joint program in Bangalore. If Brazil and India increase cooperation in aeronautical field then it will be beneficial for both of them. Brazil uses some parts which are made in India, but there is no specific agreement so far.

TBM : Which can be a bigger trade partner – India or China?

Ambassador : China and India are not competing with each other though China is Brazil’s biggest trade partner. Today balance of power is changing. Brazil wants to have multi-lateral agreements.

TBM : What about Indian investment in Brazil and vice versa?

Ambassador : India has bigger investment in Brazil, pharmaceutical industry significantly. Renuka has made a large investment in sugar industry in Brazil. There are IT consultants. Mahindra and Bajaj are there. On the other hand Brazilian investment is less in India. We have Marco Polo producing bus cabins in India. We also have a steel unit in south India. We have the famous WEG electric motors. We sell Ambraer jets for civil and military use.

TBM : What is your opinion on Kashmir dispute?

Ambassador: Kashmir should be solved bilaterally. We have no opinion on the dispute. We favour diplomacy and a peaceful resolution of disputes.

TBM : How is tourist movement between India and Brazil?

Ambassador : There is increasing flow from Brazil. Large groups are coming. But we still do not have direct connections between the two countries. Code sharing between airlines is being discussed though both the countries are interested in direct connections. Trade between the two is increasing, tourism is increasing; its a new reality so we can have direct flights. There are many flights via Europe, Doha, Qatar and South Africa.

TBM : What is this flex fuels of cars used in Brazil?

Ambassador : We are the largest producer of sugar in the world. We also produce ethanol to be used as fuels for cars. While we are exporting sugar to India, we are also using ethanol from sugarcane as fuel.

TBM : Which could be the biggest industry that Brazil would like to have from India?

Ambassador : What we will like to see in Brazil is the investment by the hospitality industry from India. This industry in India has vast experience and there are good companies. We need a lot of hotels in Brazil. Brazil has been chosen to host the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympics, the first to be held in South America. We are open to investments, there are no restrictions. The rule of law is sound, there are no disputes. Rules for remittance for overseas investors are flexible, not strict. There are favourable laws making it easier to invest.

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