India-Brazil Joint Commission meets this month to discuss agri, energy, defence

The ninth India-Brazil Joint Commission meeting, which is likely to be held on 27 August in New Delhi, may discuss bilateral cooperation in energy, defence and agriculture.

The agenda for the high-level meeting, held every two years, includes climate change, critical minerals, biofuels and oil, as India seeks Brazilian expertise in these areas, two senior officials at the Brazilian embassy said.

While the Brazilian side is expected to bring up the issue of market access for its agricultural products, defence has emerged as one of the key pillars of the Indo-Brazilian relationship, alongside energy and farm trade. Security cooperation featured in bilateral talks between Brazil’s president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during G20 Leaders' Summit in New Delhi last September and the Joint Commission may take out some significant topics like technical cooperation and market access for Brazilian agricultural products and collaboration in defence from that summit and discuss thoroughly.

Also Read: India, Brazil discuss stronger defence ties, from technology to information

“Our chancellor and minister of foreign affairs will come. As of now, we don’t know who all will be part of the delegation; we are still finalising the composition of the delegation with the capital,” the officials said.

“There will be a meeting between Dr. Jaishankar (India's minister of external affairs) and Mauro Vieira (Brazilian foreign minister) on 27 August. The meeting is expected to yield strategic initiatives related to three things—agriculture, energy and defence. Before the ministers’ meeting, there is a lot of technical work backstage to produce materials for them to discuss. For agriculture, technical cooperation between India and Brazil and market access for agricultural products could be discussed during the joint committee meeting," said Angelo de Queiroz Mauricio, agricultural attaché at Brazil’s embassy in New Delhi. "These are the two things we are working on so they can announce some initiatives and actions. There are two working groups, one on animal husbandry and the other on agriculture. They meet from time to time and discuss technical requirements and then convey their decisions to the committee. The expectation was to be able to announce more market access for Brazilian citrus, basically orange and a different kind of lemon that contains more juice, and different Brazilian and Amazon products like different types of nuts, timber, wood, etc., but there has been no progress so far."

“In defence, the talk may revolve around army, navy and collaborations,” Mauricio shared.

Also Read: India & Brazil plan certification to regularize trade of genetic material

During the G20 meeting in New Delhi last year, Brazil’s Lula and prime minister Modi addressed the launch of the Brazil-India Business Forum and discussed ways of bringing their scientists and business people closer to each other, promoting technological exchange, and trade and investment between the two countries. The leaders had stressed the great potential for technical cooperation and trade in space, aviation and biofuels.

During the meeting, the two leaders had committed to promote high-level dialogue between the three IBSA (India, Brazil, South Africa) partners and highlighted the strategic importance of the forum – which was created in 2003 – in protecting and advancing the interests of the Global South.

“We know that energy (biofuels, oil and critical minerals) will be a priority on the joint commission meeting agenda. We are delving into critical minerals, which are essential for energy transition and are more advanced in Brazil. In Brazil, we are trying to procure minerals and have a supply chain safe for critical minerals. We still have a lot to catch up, but we do have a lot of reserves. There was a request made by the Indian Ambassador in Brazil that India wants to speak about critical minerals. So, we are making a report on how we can cooperate in this segment and how this is a central issue for energy transition and security for India,” said a diplomat at the Embassy of Brazil in New Delhi, on condition of anonymity. 

"We also have expertise in biofuel, we have ethanol, we have electric vehicles, hydrogen, nuclear power and hydropower suffices. Biofuels are important and India tends to look up to us. They're keen on our experience. But we don't think that this is the only thing that India is concerned about or that they're going to be selling ethanol. India wants to develop its own industry, so they want help. But it's not about buying from us. It's about helping India develop its own industry with our expertise. We are trying to cooperate in other areas like minerals as well. So, the discussions are going to be around it as far as energy is concerned,” Piacesi added.

Queries sent to the secretary and spokesperson of India's ministry of external affairs remained unanswered till press time.

Confirming the 9th Brazil-India Joint Commission meeting on 27 August in Delhi at the level of cabinet ministers of foreign affairs, the spokesperson of the Brazil embassy said, "While agriculture, defence and energy are priority areas and will certainly be an important part of the agenda, the Joint Commission deals with multiple additional themes like health, mobility and tourism, just to name a few. Climate change, critical minerals, biofuels, ethanol, agricultural cooperation and market access are all expected to be part of the agenda. Defense talks should focus on enhancing the Brazil-India defense partnership, focusing on technological advancements and the shared goals of both countries in safeguarding their national sovereignty through cooperation, especially by deepening links between defense industries."

Previous meetings

The 8th India-Brazil Joint Commission meeting, held in Brasilia on 24 August 2022, and the 2nd Foreign Office Consultation (FOC) in Brasilia on 20 June 2023, reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relationship and discussed cooperation in the areas of trade and investment, sustainable development, energy with focus on biofuel, agriculture and livestock, health and traditional medicine, science and technology, defence affairs, counter-terrorism, consular and legal affairs, regional and global issues, including reformed multilateralism.

India and Brazil share a very close and multifaceted relationship, both at bilateral level as well as in plurilateral fora such as BRICS, BASIC, G-20, G-4, IBSA, International Solar Alliance, and in the larger multilateral bodies such as the UN, WTO, UNESCO, and WIPO. The two countries have been strategic partners since 2006. The bilateral relationship is based on a common global vision, shared democratic values, and a commitment to foster economic growth with social inclusion for the welfare of the people of both countries.