Ukraine - Brazil Relations

Brazil was among the first countries in the world that recognized the independence of Ukraine in December, 26, 1991. The diplomatic relations between our countries were established in February 11, 1992.

The Embassy of Brazil in Ukraine was opened in January, 1995, and the Embassy of Ukraine in Brazil was opened in July. The General Consulate of Ukraine (after 2002 - consulate) was opened in Curitiba (capital of the Parana state) on August 24, 1996, and the General consulate of Ukraine in Rio de Janeiro was opened in 2002 on the basis of the Embassy’s division.

Honorary consuls of Ukraine in Paranagua (Parana state) and in Bljumenau (Santa-Katarina state) actively promote the development of mutual relationships as well. The Honorary Consulate of Brazil has been working in Lviv since July 2001.

The beginning of bilateral relations at the international level was launched in October - November 1995 during the first official visit of the President of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma to Brazil. The dialogue at the highest level of two countries was continued and consolidated within the framework of the state visit of ex-President of Brazil F.E.Kardozu to Ukraine on January 16-17, 2002 and with the formal visit of two presidents at the Summit on sustainable development in Johannesburg (Republic of South Africa) in September 2, 2002.

Active contacts at high level between two countries achieved qualitatively new level and dimension after election of the new President of Brazil L.I.Luly da Silva, in January 2003. The Prime-minister of Ukraine V.Yanukovych has met with President of Brazil within the framework of the World economic forum in Davos that year as well. President of Ukraine L.Kuchma took part in a working lunch organized by President of Brazil during 58th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations Organization in New York hosted by the UN Secretary General in September 2003.

The new stage of development of bilateral relations, based on the principles of constructive and interested partnership, started with the second official visit of the President of Ukraine L.Kuchma to Brazil in October 20-22, 2003.

Today Ukraine and Brazil actively cooperate in the fields of space industry and power mechanical engineering. These are the most perspective projects. There are also prospects for development of mutual cooperation in the oil-and-gas industry, metallurgy, agriculture and medicine. Taking into account the Ukrainian advanced space technologies, as well as the unique geographical and climate conditions of Brazilian Alkantara Space Centre, both countries actively work on realization of joint project, which provides the opportunity for using the Ukrainian launchers for the commercial starts from Brazilian Alkantara space centre.

The intention of two parties to develop cooperation is confirmed by creation of strong legal-base that consists of more than 60 interstate, intergovernmental, interdepartmental and inter-regional acts.

Several rounds of political consultations have been held between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of two countries since 1997. Due to Ukraine’s initiative, cooperation among the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and Rio Branco Institute of Brazil (Diplomatic Institute) was started in November 2002. The bilateral association protocol was signed by heads of two educational institutions. It provided opportunities for information exchange among teachers and students.

Groups of inter-parliamentary cooperation operate within the National congress of Brazil and the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine since 1996. They coordinate contacts between supreme legislatures of two countries and actively participate in main events of bilateral relations.

Contacts among supreme judicial bodies and ministries of defense of both countries are also taking place. The association arrangement achieved in 1995 was implemented in October 2003 by signing by Chairmen of Supreme Court of Ukraine (V.Malyarenko) and Brazil of Protocol of intention regarding the technical cooperation for the development of trust and technical support.

During the visit to Brazil in December, 2003, Ukrainian Supreme Rada human rights ombudsman Nina Karpachova spoke about the importance of cooperation between two countries in legal field and about an opportunity of cooperation regarding problems of human rights at the international level. Nina Karpachova held meetings with the National Secretary for human rights, the Chairman of the Human Rights Commission of Deputy’s Chamber, vice-president of the Supreme Federal Court, representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil and the government of Federal district. The basis for cooperation of two countries in this field was created on these meetings.

According to the bilateral Agreement for trade and economic cooperation (1995), the Convention for avoidance of double taxation and counteraction of tax evasion (2002), as well as to the Memorandum of cooperation between Brazilian National Bank for Social and Economic Development and Ukreximbank – favorable conditions have been created for trade’s development. Cooperation between the Chamber of trade, industry and tourism «Brasil – Ukraine» and Commercial and industrial chamber of Ukraine and Zhitomir Commercial and industrial chamber of trade were formalized by corresponding documents in 2001.

Bilateral trade increases every year. The nomenclature of bilateral trade expanded and already reached 100 positions both for export and for import. The Brazilian coffee, tobacco, bauxites, Ukrainian mineral fertilizers, various products from metal rolling and the goods of mechanical engineering are the main product of trading exchange. High-quality Brazilian beef, pork and fowl are being imported in Ukraine since 2003. Brazil takes the main positions in the world in the export of these products. In comparison with the period of 2002, the analysis over the period of 2003 of statistical data of the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade of Brazil indicates to the substantial growth of the volume of bilateral trade (from 111,353 million USD to 256,227 million USD). The tendency of gradual increase in the volume of bilateral trade is kept in 2004: According to the Brazilian statistics over the period of 8 months in 2004 this figure has already reached 205 million USD.

Signing of the Protocol for mutual access to a commodity market and services within the framework of the World Trade Organization became a positive result of productive cooperation of two countries.

The important assistance mechanism both as in development of bilateral cooperation as in definition of its new directions is the Intergovernmental Ukrainian - Brazilian commission on trade and economic cooperation. Its first session took place in May 2001 in Kiev, second - in March, 2004 (Brazil).

The Chamber of trade, industry and tourism “Brazil – Ukraine” was established by the Federation of Trade Chambers in June 2003 (Rio de Janeiro). Their initiative showed the increasing interest among the Brazilian businessmen towards the cooperation with Ukraine.

One of the directions of bilateral cooperation is the inter-regional cooperation. It has good prospects, but unfortunately it hasn’t got expected development. During the recent years a series of visits of Brazilian and Ukrainian delegations, headed by representatives of regions, took place. In particular, Ukraine was visited by delegations from Rio de Janeiro in October 1997, Parana State in October 1997), Amazanos State in May 1997. Brazil was visited by delegations from Kiev Region in January 1998, the Lviv regional state administration in March 2000 and the Kharkiv Region in December 1997, the Kyiv city administration. During these visits appropriate bilateral documents on cooperation were signed.

The Ukrainians in Brazil are one of the important factors of bilateral relations development. They count up to 400 000 people. Community is concentrated mainly in the south of the country, particularly in Paranas, Santa-Katarine and San-Paulo states. The Ukrainian Communities have been actively participating in the development of cooperation between two countries. The treatment of Ukrainian children suffered from consequences of Chernobyl accident has been organized by Central Ukrainian-Brazilian Representation. Several groups of Ukrainian doctors-experts in bone marrow transplantation trained in Curitiba Catholic University Clinic of Brazil.

The governmental level parties have declared the mutual interest in medical cooperation. During the visit of Governmental delegation of Ukraine headed by the Vice-prime-minister of Ukraine D.Tabachnik in June 2003 the new practical steps towards cooperation in the field of prophylaxis and treatments of AIDS were taken. Within the framework of the International conference on AIDS which took place in July 2004 in Bangkok, Heads of delegations from Brazil, Ukraine, Russia, Nigeria, China and Thailand signed the Agreement for technological interchange of manufacturing of preventive means and cooperation in development of new vaccines and improvement of quality analyses.

There are new developments of cooperation in the field of sport. Three Ukrainian trainers of gymnastics provided methodical and consulting help for the Curitiba Center of Olympic preparation. It became a basis for Brazilian gymnasts’ success at recent Pan-American Games and the World Championship in September 2003. Contacts between two football clubs of our countries are also established.