PM Modi received a telephone call from Brazilian President Lula da Silva after US President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on both the countries. Here’s what happened.
New Delhi: In a significant development on Thursday night, Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a telephone call from Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva a day after US President Donald Trump issued an executive order slapping 25 per cent additional tariff on Indian goods. As per a release shared by the Prime Minister’s office, the two leaders agreed to enhance cooperation in trade, technology, energy, defence, agriculture, health, and people-to-people ties. However, the reason due to which the telephone call is receiving world-wide attention are the recent ‘anti-Trump’ statements given by the Brazilian President.
What has President of Brazil said on Donald Trump?
Notably, Lula da Silva, the President of Brazil had said, “I will not call Trump because he doesn’t want to talk, I will call Xi Jinping, I will call PM Modi, I will not call Putin right now because he is not in a position to travel, but I will call many more presidents”.
What was discussed between PM Modi and Brazilian President?
PM Modi and the Brazilian President also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement. During the telephonic conversation, the prime minister recalled his visit to Brazil last month, the press release said.
Later, Modi in a post on X said, “Had a good conversation with President Lula. Thanked him for making my visit to Brazil memorable and meaningful. We are committed to deepening our Strategic Partnership including in trade, energy, tech, defence, health and more. A strong, people-centric partnership between Global South nations benefits everyone.”
How is Brazil planning to challenge US tariffs?
Notably, Brazil is preparing to formally challenge the newly imposed US tariffs at the World Trade Organization (WTO) while keeping the door open to negotiations, a report by IANS news agency said. The move comes after US President Donald Trump announced a 50 per cent tariff on a range of Brazilian exports, including coffee, beef and petrochemicals.
(With inputs from agencies)
