Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva turns 81 this Tuesday (27).
Lula da Silva
was born on 27 October 1945, in the city of Garanhuns, in Pernambuco. In his youth, he completed a vocational course at the National Service for Industrial Training (SENAI), qualifying as a mechanical turner. He later worked for companies in the metallurgical sector. In 1975, he became president of the Metalworkers’ Union and, in 1980, became one of the founders of the Workers’ Party (PT).
Lula was first elected President of Brazil on 27 October 2002. He subsequently won the 2006 and 2022 elections. On 25 October 2026, he was re-elected to his fourth presidential term, which will begin in 2027.
Cooperation with BRICS countries occupies an important place in Brazil’s foreign policy. In 2026, Brazil participated in the 18th BRICS Summit, held in New Delhi, India. The Brazilian delegation was headed by Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira. During the meeting, the leaders adopted the New Delhi Declaration, which sets priorities for cooperation in the areas of sustainable development, innovation, finance, health and energy. The document also calls for greater participation of emerging and developing countries in global decision-making processes and reaffirms the group’s commitment to strengthening international cooperation.
At the same time, Brazil strengthened bilateral relations with other members of the group. In February, following a meeting of the Brazilian-Russian High-Level Commission for Cooperation, the two countries signed a joint declaration providing, among other initiatives, for cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy and the production of radioisotopes for medical applications.
Also in February, Lula met with President of the United Arab Emirates Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss trade, investment and the strengthening of the strategic partnership between the two countries.
In March, during the visit of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to Brazil, the two countries signed agreements to strengthen cooperation in trade, investment and tourism. The leaders also discussed partnerships in critical minerals and technology.
Trade relations with Indonesia also expanded. In the first five months of 2026, the country became the second-largest importer of Brazilian beef offal, purchasing more than 12,000 tonnes of these products in transactions worth US$19.5 million.
In August, Brazil and India expanded trade cooperation and investment, with the signing of a memorandum of understanding between institutions from the two countries. In the first seven months of 2026, bilateral trade reached US$10.1 billion, an increase of 32.9 per cent compared with the same period of the previous year.
Cooperation with China also advanced. In October, the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding on water resources management, providing for the exchange of experience and technologies for hydrological monitoring and drought and flood prevention. The information was released by the
Brazilian government.