Slovenian-Brazilian Joint Commission on enhancing bilateral economic relations

SLOVENIA, December 1 - The Slovenian and Brazilian delegations were co-chaired by Ambassador Peter Japelj, Director-General of the Directorate for Economic, Cultural and Science Diplomacy, and Ambassador Laudemar Aguiar, Secretary for Trade Promotion, Science, Technology, Innovation and Culture of Brazil. The fourth plenary session of the Joint Commission aimed to review existing economic cooperation between the two countries and explore opportunities to further strengthen bilateral trade flows.

Brazil remains Slovenia’s key partner in Latin America and its main trading partner in the region. The meeting once again highlighted the long-standing friendly relations and close political and economic partnership between the two countries, which was further enhanced by the official visit of the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Tanja Fajon, to Brazil in July 2024. During this visit, an air transport agreement and a memorandum of cooperation in tourism were signed.

The session in Ljubljana focused on digitalisation and artificial intelligence, areas in which both countries have made significant progress. In this context, a memorandum of cooperation on digital transformation and research, development and innovation in artificial intelligence was signed between the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation and the Slovenian Ministry of Digital Transformation. Signed on Slovenia's behalf by Minister Ksenija Klampfer, the memorandum reflects the strengthening of the strategic partnership between the two countries in the field of modern technologies. At the end of the session, the co-chairs also signed a protocol outlining the current state of economic cooperation and reaffirming both countries’ commitment to continued collaboration.

The participants welcomed the strengthening of institutional ties in the field of science, highlighting the initiative to set up a formal mechanism for bilateral cooperation in science and innovation. They expressed interest in further deepening cooperation and in exchanging best practices and experiences in digital education, a topical issue in modern society, which has an increasingly visible impact in the school environment. They also took note of proposals for enhanced exchange of information on opportunities for cooperation in space technologies, an area in which Slovenian companies and institutions have strong expertise.

In the field of security and defence, the two countries reaffirmed the importance of the existing agreements on defence cooperation and on the exchange of classified information, which provide a solid foundation for further strengthening their partnership. Regarding the energy sector, both countries reiterated their commitment to expanding cooperation on the development of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen, alternative fuels and biofuels, as well as on environmental protection. Both sides recognise the strategic importance of these areas for achieving climate objectives and advancing the energy transition.

It was emphasised that Slovenia supports the signing and conclusion of the EU-Mercosur Partnership Agreement and the interim Trade Agreement. Slovenia also advocates the prompt commencement of the implementation of both agreements.

The fourth session of the Joint Commission demonstrated that there remains further untapped potential for strengthening economic cooperation between the two countries. In this regard, it was proposed that the next session take place in Brazil, with the final date to be agreed at a later stage.