For Brazil, Africa is no longer a secondary partner but a strategic priority. In this interview, Ambassador Daniella Xavier details Brasilia’s ambitions on the continent and discusses the major diplomatic issues that shape international relations.
Brazil’s ambassador to Senegal, Daniella Xavier, affirmed that Africa is among the priorities of her country’s foreign policy. In support of this orientation, she recalls that Brazil has 33 embassies on the African continent. “For two years, Africa has been at the heart of Brazil’s foreign policy priorities,” she declared.
In this interview granted to SenePlus.com and SenePlus TV on the occasion of Africa Day, on the sidelines of a conference bringing together the ambassadors of Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela and Cuba, the diplomat also underlined the quality of professional integration of Senegalese students trained in Brazil. According to her, many of them today occupy positions of responsibility in various public and private institutions in Senegal.
Ms. Xavier also presented the main areas of cooperation between Brazil and African countries, particularly in education, culture, etc. She particularly insisted on the role played by her country within large political and economic groups such as the BRICS and the G20. According to her, Brazil regularly defends positions and concerns that match those of many African countries.
Asked about the tensions that emerged this year between Brasilia and Washington, the diplomat recalled that President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva had recently traveled to the United States to meet his American counterpart. She says she is optimistic about a normalization of relations between the two countries, given the economic and strategic issues involved.
“Relationships go beyond governments. The United States is a partner with which we have very strong historical ties, as well as significant trade and investment interests. It is therefore essential to go beyond this stage,” believes Daniella Xavier.
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