1. Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Chung Byung-won held the 13th meeting of the Korea-Brazil High-level Political Consultations with Secretary of Asia and the Pacific, Ambassador Eduardo Paes Saboia, in Brasilia on November 8, 2023.

2. The two sides had extensive discussions on different areas of cooperation, including revitalizing Comprehensive Cooperative Partnership between the two countries, negotiations for the ROK-MERCOSUR Trade Agreement, cooperation on biotech, semiconductors, renewable energies, supply chains, science and technology, climate change, cooperation in international fora such as the UN and the G20.

3. The two sides shared the view that since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1959, the two countries have further developed their relations and agreed to futher strengthen the high-level visits on the occasion of Brazil's G20 presidency next year.

ㅇ Secretary Saboia recalled that the bilateral ties of the two countries have significantly strengthened during President Lula's past presidency including the establishment of the Comprehensive Cooperative Partnership, and hoped that the bilateral ties between Korea and Brazil will be enhanced even more during the third term of President Lula.

ㅇ Both sides agreed to draft a Work Plan for 2024-2027 which presents the goals and action plans for bilateral cooperation in five areas including political cooperation and people-to-people exchanges, trade and investment, energy and environment, science and technology, cultural cooperation so that the plan would be a good guidance on deepening bilateral ties between the two countries.

4. The two sides shared the view that there is enough room for cooperation in trade, investment and industry, and agreed to accelerate collaboration in these areas by advancing the ROK-MERCOSUR Trade Agreement and signing the MOU on the Trade and Investment Promotion Framework.

ㅇ Secretary Saboia expressed hope for expanding collaboration with Korea, emphasizing that Brazil and Korea can expand cooperation to high-tech fields, such as biotech, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors and aerospace in green economy and renewable energy, to overcome the traditional trade structure of exporting commodities and importing manufactured goods.

5. Acknowledging Brazil's efforts to protect the Amazon rainforest, Deputy Minister Chung extended welcome to Brazil for hosting the UNFCCC COP30 in Belém, the gateway city to the Amazon, in 2025, and expressed hope for further cooperation in this field.

ㅇ Secretary Saboia asked for Korea's support and interest in the Amazon Fund, one of the best practice of the REDD+(Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation in developing countries) framework.

6. Deputy Minister Chung recognized Brazil's contribution as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2022-2023 term and introduced Korea's goals during its non-permanent membership in the Security Council for the term of 2024-2025, and requested Brazil's cooperation in this regard.

7. Deputy Minister Chung explained the situation of the Korean Peninsula and Korea's policy towards North Korea, asking for Brazil's continuous cooperation and support. He also introduced Korea's Indo-Pacific Strategy which is to contribute to the peace and security of the Asian region beyond the Korean Peninsula.

ㅇ Recalling that Brazil announced the world's first nuclear-free zone, Secretary Saboia recognized Korea's efforts to achieve peace on the Korean Peninsula and the complete denuclearization of North Korea.

8. Furthermore, Deputy Minister Chung had a meeting with the Secretary General of the Brazilian Foreign Ministry, Ambassador Maria Laura da Rocha and had a discussion on bilateral relations between the two countries. The two sides agreed to expand high-level exchanges on the occasion of Brazil's G20 presidency next year and hoped that the friendship between the two nations would deepen through cultural exchanges as well as the spread of Korean pop culture.

9. The 13th meeting of the Korea-Brazil High-level Political Consultations was the first of its kind since the inauguration of the new governments of the two countries, and it is evaluated that the meeting has provided a good opportunity to deepen bilateral relations with Brazil, one of the key partners in Latin America, by discussing a wide range of ways to promote cooperation in different fields.