São Paulo – Brazil plays an important role in providing food and agricultural inputs amid rising global food insecurity, president Jair Bolsonaro told on Monday (18) World Trade Organization (WTO) director-general Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala from Nigeria. The president and the minister of Foreign Affairs Carlos França met with the diplomat, who is visiting Brazil.
According to Ministry, Bolsonaro pointed out the importance of trade in agricultural products and inputs such as fertilizers to ensure global food security. The president also said the country expects that the 12th WTO Ministerial Meeting will have concrete results.
During the meeting, Foreign Affairs minister Carlos França said the WTO has the mission at this moment to contribute to mitigating the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war between Russia and Ukraine on international food production and distribution chains. The minister said Brazil is committed to ensuring that the ministerial meeting results in progress in negotiations on the four main pillars: trade and health, agriculture, fisheries subsidies, and WTO reform.
In addition to talk with the president and the Foreign minister, the WTO director-general gave a lecture at the Rio Branco Diplomat Institute and met with congressmen from the Agricultural Parliamentary Front (FPA in the original Portuguese acronym) and representatives of the agribusiness sector.
On Tuesday (19) in São Paulo Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala will meet with representatives of the National Confederation of Industry (CNI) and the Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo (Fiesp). On this occasion, Okonjo-Iweala will receive a document with the 13 priorities listed for the sector. Okonjo-Iwealala will also participate in a meeting with women entrepreneurs.
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
