By Dr Aparaajita Pandey
As India gets ready to hand over the G20 baton to Brazil, it is also gearing up to host the Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, fondly known as Lula for the third time. President Lula has enjoyed a warm welcome in India during the past two decades during his previous presidencies and he is all set to visit India once again, this time as a member of the G 20 troika and the future G 20 President. India and Brazil have shared a cordial and friendly relationship and the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between the nations of India and Brazil.
The first time President Lula visited India was in 2006, and that visit was focused on laying the foundations for closer and deeper relations between India and Latin America in general and MERCOSUR nations specifically. The nations of Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay were members of MERCOSUR and Brazil was enthusiastic about seeing India as a closer partner with MERCOSUR nations. During this visit, the growing partnership between IBSA or India – Brazil – South Africa was in the forefront, and it was closely followed by attempts to facilitate a PTA between India and MERCOSUR.
Since the first visit of President Lula, India signed a PTA with MERCOSUR giving it trade benefits with Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay. The PTA became operational in 2009 and bolstered India’s presence in the region. However, since then India has made attempts to sign FTAs or Free Trade Agreements with MERCOSUR nations as well, but significant progress is yet to be made. IBSA was established in 2004 and became a topic of major focus during President Lula’s visit in 2006 however, since then BRICS has overshadowed IBSA and, in all probability, would continue to outshine the platform especially with the new additions of members that would take place in the beginning of the next year.
Argentina is set to become a BRICS member in 2024 and a greater involvement of Argentina can also be expected in G 20 as Brazil takes over the Presidency. Brazil has indicated that it would like to see the MERCOSUR nations play a bigger role in the G 20 and one can expect the same rhetoric to be reiterated during Lula’s visit to New Delhi later this week. While one could link Argentina’s presence with the BRICS, the expanding prominence of MERCOSUR should be attributed to the G 20’s focus on the economies of the global south. An idea that was spearheaded by India and supported by nations of the Global South. The G 20 Troika stands testament to the recognition of the rising power of the developing world with the members of the Troika being Indonesia, India, and Brazil respectively.
India and Brazil share common focus on food security, energy security, IT & Ites, infrastructural development, and exploring space. These are also the sectors in which India and Brazil have and can build synergies further. With the two nations working more closely due to G 20 one can expect greater collaboration and cooperation. Lula is also of the opinion that Brazil should have more robust relations with countries like China and Russia. This ambition is also facilitated by Lula’s presence in the G 20 and the BRICS. To add to the international activity being focused and surrounded around the global south and BRICS; one must mention that the nation joining the troika will be South Africa after Indonesia finishes its term.
Former Brazilian ambassador to India was of the opinion that India has shown extreme dexterity in the area of balancing interests of the west and the global south while maintaining cordial relations with China and Russia. President Lula does plan to take advantage of this and build upon the bonds of partnerships that India has already established.
The G 20 presidency under Brazil plans to focus on the Russia – Ukraine conflict and a possible solution to it that is acceptable to all those involved and also the rebuilding of the economies that have been ravaged by the travesties of Covid –19 pandemic. While it is true that economies have begun to recover there is still a long way to go. It would be interesting to see what the future holds of Brazil, India, BRICS, and the G 20.
Dr Aparaajita Pandey is an independent political analyst with a PhD in Latin American Studies from JNU.
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