Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has praised India’s progress under its G20 presidency. In an exclusive interview with Firstpost, he highlighted the extraordinary agenda set by India, which included over 200 meetings across 60 cities. These meetings saw participation from various Brazilian ministers, including those of health, mines and energy, science and technology, labour, and finance.

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Lula commended this inclusive approach, stating that it was a new way for countries to participate in such forums. He emphasised that it’s not just at the presidential level but involves the government as a whole and the people in the debate. He expressed that Brazil had learned a lot from this approach and would incorporate many of these teachings into their own G20 meeting next year.

When asked about his impression of Prime Minister Modi, Lula spoke highly of him. He mentioned his good relations with India’s former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and stated that his relationship with Prime Minister Modi was extraordinary. Lula had his first meeting with PM Modi in May after his inauguration as the president of Brazil for a third term.

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Lula commended Modi’s serious commitment to the welfare of the Indian people and acknowledged the complexity of governing a diverse country like India. He also noted that Modi had already been re-elected once and could potentially be re-elected again next year. He viewed this as a recognition of Modi’s work by the people.

Watch: Gabriella Noronha, a journalist affiliated with a news channel operated by the Brazilian Government, discusses Brazil's upcoming role as the host country for the G20 summit in 2024.

Lula also compared the economic progress of both countries, noting that while India had risen from the 15th to the 6th largest economy in the world, Brazil had slipped from the 6th to the 12th.

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First Published:Sept 10, 2023 1:16 PM IST