Blinken Makes First-Ever Trip to Brazil to Attend G20 Meet Amid Diplomatic Spat with President Lula

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, has headed to Brazil in his first ever trip to the Latin American country to attend the G20 foreign ministerial meeting in the capital city of Rio de Janeiro. On the agenda is the ongoing war in Ukraine and the besieged Gaza Strip among other global issues. The US Secretary of State will also meet with Brazil's president amid the diplomatic spat and fallout on Israel’s military operation in the Gaza enclave. Blinken is also slated to make a travel to Argentina.

In Brazil, Blinken will discuss the crucial bilateral regional ties as well as will celebrate the bicentennial of diplomatic relations between the two countries, according to a statement published by the State Department. The two counterparts will focus on several shared priorities, which includes the United States’ support for Brazil’s G20 presidency, the US-Brazil Partnership on Worker’s Rights, and cooperation on the Clean Energy Transition. 

US ‘well-aligned with Brazil’s goals for its G20 presidency’

As Blinken will attend the G20 meeting of the foreign ministers in Rio de Janeiro, he will discuss with the G20 partners and others, on the margins of the meeting, the Multinational Security Support Mission to Haiti, a key effort that responds to the call from the Haitian people for help to restore security and stability in the region. Blinken in Buenos Aires will hold a meeting with Argentine President Javier Milei. 

The two counterparts will discuss the issues pertaining to multiple areas of shared interest, including sustainable economic growth, economic prosperity, human rights, the importance of democratic governance, deepening cooperation on energy and critical minerals, and trade investment opportunities between the two countries. Other issues to be discussed on the sidelines will include combating hunger, poverty – hunger and poverty, mobilizing against climate change, and reducing inequality.

“Secretary Blinken plans to highlight several concrete examples such as our efforts to develop diverse climate-resistant crop varieties and build healthy soil through partnerships like the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils,” said US Assistant Secretary, Ramin Toloui. The latter added that the United States is “well-aligned with Brazil’s goals for its G20 presidency.” US and Brazil suffered a diplomatic fallout over Brazilian President Lula’s denunciation of Israel’s military campaign that he labelled as genocide, prompting US allied Israel to recall ambassador and demanding a formal apology over comparison of WWII holocaust with Gaza war.