Brazil is supporting Bangladesh's bid for membership in the bloc BRICS, an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, an association of major emerging economies.
“Bangladesh is a country very close to us. We considered from our side very strongly and positively,” visiting Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira said on Sunday after a bilateral meeting with his Bangladeshi counterpart, Dr Hasan Mahmud.
Last year at its South Africa summit, the group expanded and endorsed memberships to Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Ethiopia and Argentina. Bangladesh also showed keenness to become a member.
After the expansion, the Brazilian foreign minister said, this year they had the first meeting where they discussed the issue of further expansion.
The Brazilian foreign minister arrived in Dhaka in the morning on a two-day bilateral visit, the first by any Brazilian foreign minister since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1972.
According to a joint statement, the expansion issue also came up during the bilateral meeting when the Brazilian minister “affirmed that Bangladesh, as an emerging voice of the Global South, could offer substantial contributions to BRICS on a number of issues.”
The foreign ministry termed the visit “historic” and said Mauro Vieira was leading a 29-member top official and a robust trade delegation.
He paid tribute to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi 32.
He will pay a courtesy call to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday.
The minister will visit pharmaceutical and readymade garment facilities near Dhaka, before leaving on Monday afternoon.