The forum is taking place on the sidelines of the 8th Meeting of the Russian-Brazilian High-Level Commission on Cooperation.
The Russian-Brazilian Business Forum is scheduled to take place in Brasilia on the sidelines of the 8th Meeting of the Russian-Brazilian High-Level Commission on Cooperation and with support from the governments of the two countries.
Mikhail Mishustin and Vice President and Minister of Development, Industry, Trade and Services of Brazil Geraldo José Rodrigues Alckmin Filho took part in the Russian-Brazilian Business Forum
Mikhail Mishustin and Vice President and Minister of Development, Industry, Trade and Services of Brazil Geraldo José Rodrigues Alckmin Filho took part in the Russian-Brazilian Business Forum
Mikhail Mishustin and Vice President and Minister of Development, Industry, Trade and Services of Brazil Geraldo José Rodrigues Alckmin Filho took part in the Russian-Brazilian Business Forum
Russian and Brazilian business associations, the Foreign Ministry of Brazil and the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil) have organised this forum.
The Russian business delegation will include heads of 35 major Russian corporations and business unions, including the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, the Russian Association of Fertiliser Producers, Russian Railways, Sber, PhosAgro, Fesco, Polyus, Delo, Power Machines, MAER, Generium, etc. Brazil will be represented by several major companies and associations, including the Brazilian National Confederation of Industry, the Brazilian Association of Meat Exporting Industries, the Brazilian Chemical Industry Association, Minerva, and BRF S.A.
The forum’s agenda includes three thematic panel discussions with the participation of the corresponding Russian and Brazilian federal ministers. There will also be B2B and B2G talks for corporations and medium-sized businesses, senior government officials, diplomats and civil society leaders from both countries.
The debates will focus on matters dealing with expanding trade, logistics and improving payment transactions, tools to facilitate and protect investment, sustainable agriculture, food supplies, as well as innovation in manufacturing, energy and pharmaceuticals.
Excerpts from the transcript:
Geraldo Alckmin (retranslated): Your Excellency Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Mikhail Mishustin, delegates from Russia and Brazil, friends.
Allow me to welcome the Russian delegation and the Prime Minister who leads it. I would also like to greet Brazilian business leaders who came here today.
The Brazilian-Russian Business Forum demonstrates the commitment by the two countries to bring their economies closer together and enhance bilateral trade. Let me remind you that Brazil has a long-standing track record of promoting economic dialogue with Russia. In 1884, Baron of Rio Branco, who is known as the Patron of Brazilian diplomacy, established a Brazilian commercial mission for taking part in an international fair in St Petersburg. It was already obvious at that time that our two countries have ample opportunities for forging closer ties.
Almost one century and a half later, this reciprocal effort carries on to explore new ways for working together and uniting our business leaders despite all the economic, political and logistics challenges in today’s world.
Russia-Brazil relations stand out for their complementary nature, mutual benefit and the fact that our countries maintain constant dialogue. Trade is increasing once again following the surge in 2000.
In 2025, our bilateral trade reached $11 billion, underscoring Russia’s position as a strategic partner for Brazil. However, the trade balance continues to show a significant deficit on our side. This is largely because we import strategic raw materials to boost our domestic production – particularly fertilisers, which are vital for our agricultural output. Both Brazil and Russia hold central roles in global food security. Brazil stands as the world’s leading food producer, while Russia plays a key role in supplying strategic agricultural inputs.
Against an international backdrop marked by logistical challenges and supply-chain uncertainty at the global level, cooperation between our two countries helps stabilise the global food supply. Together, we can offer the world a reliable, stable, and steady provision of both raw materials and food products.
At present, our commercial relations lack diversity, having been concentrated on a limited range of raw materials. The Brazilian-Russian Business Forum was established precisely to explore how we can broaden our trade, especially by increasing and diversifying exports of higher-value industrial goods, which are so important for both our economies. It also aims to foster partnerships in manufacturing, technology, energy, healthcare, and specialised services.
Alongside our bilateral trade, we have recently witnessed growing mutual investment – a sign of renewed interest and confidence in the potential of our partnership, particularly in strategic sectors.
Mr Prime Minister,
Colleagues from Russia and Brazil,
I believe we have tremendous opportunities to deepen our strategic partnership. We must move forward with certification processes, strengthen our trade relations, and diversify export routes. There are also promising avenues for joint investment in logistics, warehousing, research, and energy.
To support this progress, the Brazilian Government is committed to ensuring legal certainty and a favourable environment for businesses looking to expand their engagement.
Thank you all for travelling such a distance for such a short time. Your presence here is crucial as we work to advance our shared goals.
Finally, I would like to emphasise that in today’s complex global conditions, trust and a long-term vision are the bedrock of the partnership between Brazil and Russia.
We support one another; we possess both economic and political opportunities. And we have all the necessary means to turn these opportunities into concrete plans. Let’s get down to work. Thank you very much.
I now hand over to Mr Mikhail Mishustin, Prime Minister of the Russian Federation.
Mikhail Mishustin: Mr Geraldo Alckmin,
First of all, let me thank you and President Lula for the hospitable reception extended to the entire Russian delegation. And, of course, I would like to welcome representatives of Brazilian and Russian business circles.
This composition of participants is indicative of the striving to expand our multifaceted cooperation.
President of Russia Vladimir Putin stressed that Russia was open to cooperation with foreign businesses.
This certainly applies to Brazil, our strategic partner in Latin America.
Our bilateral relations are developing across the widest possible spectrum of areas, including trade, the economy, science, technology, culture and the humanitarian track.
Entrepreneurs in Brazil and Russia are interested in working together and establishing direct contacts. This is evidenced by the results of the Russia-Brazil Business Dialogue held on the sidelines of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum and a large-scale business mission of Russian companies to Rio de Janeiro. These events facilitate a better understanding of terms of entry to our reciprocal markets, prospects for product supplies, as well as investment potential and profitability of joint initiatives. It stands to reason that we will support these practices in every way.
Here, to my left, you see Mr Andrei Guriev, Chairman of the Russia-Brazil Council of Entrepreneurs, and Mr Alexander Shokhin, Head of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs.
Thank you, my respected friends, for having done a huge amount of work to invite a large number of Russian business representatives.
I would like to take this opportunity to appeal to our Brazilian friends. It is the right moment for establishing direct contacts. And, of course, we look forward to seeing you in Russia. There will be the St Petersburg Economic Forum and a meeting of the High-Level Commission. We are always glad to see you.
Understandably, the economy figured prominently at the meeting of the High-Level Commission on Cooperation.
Russia is one of Brazil’s top five foreign trade partners in terms of imports. In turn, the Brazilian market accounts for more than half of Russian exports to Latin America.
My colleagues and I agree that it is highly important to diversify trade in a changing international environment, primarily by boosting the share of high value-added products. It is also important to launch joint long-term projects, something that will impart stable dynamics to our foreign economic ties.
Business solutions will play a significant role in this regard, of course.
There are many options for promoting our interaction. We discussed them in detail at lunch.
There is every opportunity for achieving concrete practical results in the chemical industry, energy, the oil and gas sector, nuclear energy, production of medicinal drugs, space exploration, and many other areas of mutual interest.
This primarily concerns our industrial cooperation. Russian companies are greatly contributing to the provision of mineral fertilisers to Brazil’s agricultural sector. We have organised uninterrupted deliveries, which increased by 5 percent in the first 11 months of 2025, almost reaching nine million tonnes.
At the same time, our businesses not only delivery finished goods to farmers but are also implementing joint comprehensive investment projects to build up production facilities and create the relevant infrastructure in Brazil, which I regard as extremely important. We have everything necessary to increase the number of such mutually beneficial cooperation projects. I hope that this forum will stimulate this form of interaction.
The outlook for cooperation in the pharmaceutical sector is good. Conditions are being created to open the Brazilian market to innovative Russian medications, primarily for cancer, autoimmune diseases and diabetes.
We are ready to discuss the localisation of their production and the transfer of technologies. We hope that the Brazilian regulator will take a constructive approach to the registration of Russian medicines. It is currently the main obstacle to Russian investment. Mr Alckmin, I would like to ask you to take note of this factor as crucial for our investments.
It will certainly be useful to promote partnership between our businesses in the field of information and communication solutions. Despite unprecedented sanctions, Russia is actively implementing competitive cutting-edge solutions for the digitisation of state governance and the financial system, in communications, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.
I believe it would be very important to talk about Brazil’s digital sovereignty as well.
We are open for dialogue aimed at strengthening cooperation in these spheres.
Dear friends, I would like to say that the development of international cooperation is always in the focus of attention of the Russian Government. Our President is closely monitoring the development of Russia-Brazil relations. It is on President Vladimir Putin’s instructions that we are creating a network of partnerships with foreign states and the necessary infrastructure for foreign economic activities. As our head of state pointed out, Russia provides great opportunities for entrepreneurs and investors.
As for our bilateral agenda, we shape it with due regard for the proposals and initiatives of Russian and Brazilian businesses. We are closely interacting within the framework of our Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technological Cooperation, which is currently chaired by Economic Development Minister Maxim Reshetnikov.
We consider it extremely important to strengthen direct ties between our business communities. We invite Brazilian representatives to various events held in the Russian Federation, including the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, which will be held this summer, the WorldFood Moscow, which is scheduled for September 2026, and other industry-specific events. Mr Geraldo Alckmin, we will be delighted to see you and other Brazilian colleagues at the next meeting of the High-Level Commission in Russia.
I would like to once again express our gratitude to our business councils for organising today’s event, and to wish fruitful work, new contracts, success and prosperity to all participants.
Thank you very much.
