Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has expressed his intention to visit Bangladesh in the coming months, saying the trip would help further strengthen relations between the two countries.

President Lula conveyed his interest during a meeting with Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Monday on the sidelines of the FAO-organised World Food Forum (WFF) flagship event in Rome, according to a message received here.

Both leaders served as keynote speakers at the forum and later held a bilateral meeting at the FAO headquarters, where they discussed issues of mutual interest, including social business, universal healthcare, social inclusion, and poverty eradication strategies.

During the meeting, the Chief Adviser formally invited President Lula to visit Bangladesh at a mutually convenient time. In response, the Brazilian leader accepted the invitation, expressing his plan to make the trip by February next year.

I will go to Bangladesh,” Lula said, adding that Brazil is keen to share its experience in providing universal healthcare and to learn from Bangladesh’s pioneering work in social business and microcredit.

That would be fantastic,” Professor Yunus replied.

The two leaders also explored areas of cooperation such as deep-sea fishing, pharmaceuticals—including efforts to make vaccines patent-free and affordable—climate action ahead of the upcoming COP30 summit, and the recent youth-led movement in Bangladesh in July 2024.

Professor Yunus recalled his previous engagements in Brazil, including his 2008 meeting with then-president Lula and his October 2023 visit to several Brazilian cities.

President Lula, in turn, invited the Chief Adviser to attend COP30, which will be held in an Amazonian state to draw global attention to the protection of the world’s largest rainforest.

Thanking him for the invitation, Professor Yunus said he might not be able to attend due to his involvement in preparations for Bangladesh’s upcoming general election, expected in the first half of February.

He described the forthcoming election as a “real and landmark” moment for Bangladesh, saying it would be the first fair election in 16 years. The Chief Adviser noted that previous elections under the former autocratic regime were “fake and rigged.”

The two leaders also underscored the importance of expanding bilateral trade and cooperation between Bangladesh and Brazil.

In a lighter moment, they spoke fondly about football—one of the strongest cultural links between the two nations.

People in every village in Bangladesh support Brazil,” Professor Yunus said with a smile.

Present at the meeting were Food Adviser Ali Imam Majumder, Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter, SDG Coordinator Lamiya Morshed, and Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam. Several Brazilian ministers and senior officials also attended the meeting.