Brazilian President Lula's European Tour: Signs Key Mineral Memorandum with Spain
Brazilian President Lula commenced his European tour, arriving in Spain first to meet with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and sign a memorandum of understanding on critical minerals, including lithium and nickel. This visit underscores Brazil's ambition to move beyond raw material exports, aiming to build a complete industrial chain and play a more active role in global mineral diplomacy, especially ahead of the October general elections.
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- 📰 Published: April 18, 2026 at 08:34
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Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Tang Ya-Ling in Sao Paulo on the 17th) Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva began his European visit today, arriving first in Spain to meet with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and sign a memorandum of understanding on critical minerals, and also attended a gathering of global left-wing leaders.
Lula's European itinerary is from April 17th to 22nd, covering Spain, Germany, and Portugal. It has both economic and political implications and is seen as an important diplomatic move by Lula before the presidential election in October this year.
CNN Brazil reported that during the visit to Spain, Brazil signed 15 cooperation documents, among which the "critical minerals" cooperation memorandum was the most notable. This agreement covers strategic resources such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, and copper. Although it is symbolic in political and diplomatic terms, it highlights Brazil's desire to play a more active role in global "mineral diplomacy." Lula stated that Brazil no longer wishes to only export raw materials but hopes to build a complete industrial chain to avoid repeating the historical exploitation of "gold and silver."
According to BBC Brazil, when Lula met with business representatives from both countries in Barcelona, he emphasized that Brazil pursues peace and investment and does not want to "conflict" with leaders such as Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and US President Donald Trump. He also condemned the Middle East war as "unnecessary and irresponsible," calling on the international community to focus on education, development, and stability.
BBC analysis pointed out that Lula's visit comes at a time when US President Trump is exerting strong pressure on the international stage, and the Spanish left-wing government has also openly criticized the US-Israel joint bombing of Iran. Experts believe that Lula must strike a balance between criticizing Trump and maintaining US-Brazil relations, avoiding "stepping on a landmine" in front of global media.
In addition to Spain, Lula will also go to Hanover, Germany, to participate in a technology exhibition and to Lisbon, Portugal. Analysts believe that Brazil's position in the energy and mineral supply chain has risen due to geopolitics. How to deepen strategic cooperation with Europe and the United States while maintaining its main trade relationship with China will test Lula's diplomacy. (Editor: Tang Sheng-Yang) 1150418
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(Central News Agency reporter Tang Ya-Ling in Sao Paulo on the 17th) Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva began his European visit today, arriving first in Spain to meet with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and sign a memorandum of understanding on critical minerals, and also attended a gathering of global left-wing leaders.
Lula's European itinerary is from April 17th to 22nd, covering Spain, Germany, and Portugal. It has both economic and political implications and is seen as an important diplomatic move by Lula before the presidential election in October this year.
CNN Brazil reported that during the visit to Spain, Brazil signed 15 cooperation documents, among which the "critical minerals" cooperation memorandum was the most notable. This agreement covers strategic resources such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, and copper. Although it is symbolic in political and diplomatic terms, it highlights Brazil's desire to play a more active role in global "mineral diplomacy." Lula stated that Brazil no longer wishes to only export raw materials but hopes to build a complete industrial chain to avoid repeating the historical exploitation of "gold and silver."
According to BBC Brazil, when Lula met with business representatives from both countries in Barcelona, he emphasized that Brazil pursues peace and investment and does not want to "conflict" with leaders such as Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and US President Donald Trump. He also condemned the Middle East war as "unnecessary and irresponsible," calling on the international community to focus on education, development, and stability.
BBC analysis pointed out that Lula's visit comes at a time when US President Trump is exerting strong pressure on the international stage, and the Spanish left-wing government has also openly criticized the US-Israel joint bombing of Iran. Experts believe that Lula must strike a balance between criticizing Trump and maintaining US-Brazil relations, avoiding "stepping on a landmine" in front of global media.
In addition to Spain, Lula will also go to Hanover, Germany, to participate in a technology exhibition and to Lisbon, Portugal. Analysts believe that Brazil's position in the energy and mineral supply chain has risen due to geopolitics. How to deepen strategic cooperation with Europe and the United States while maintaining its main trade relationship with China will test Lula's diplomacy. (Editor: Tang Sheng-Yang) 1150418
Choose to stand with the facts, every sponsorship you make is a force to protect press freedom
Download the Central News Agency "First-hand News" APP to grasp the latest news in real time
The text, pictures, and videos of this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and utilized without authorization.
FAQ
What is the purpose of President Lula's current European visit?
President Lula's European visit aims to deepen economic and trade relations and expand political influence, particularly to strengthen Brazil's role in the critical minerals supply chain.
What is included in the critical minerals cooperation memorandum signed by Brazil and Spain?
This memorandum includes strategic resources such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, and copper, with the intention for Brazil to build a complete industrial chain for these resources and increase their added value.