Brazil

I arrived with my family in the Hague last December, and had the honor to present my credentials to His Majesty King Willem-Alexander just a few days later.

BY H.E. MR. PAULO ROBERTO CAMINHA DE CASTILHOS FRANÇA, AMBASSADOR OF BRAZIL TO THE NETHERLANDS

TThe mission assigned to me was twofold: to strengthen the ties of friendship and cooperation which have been a hallmark of relations between Brazil and the Netherlands throughout our rich shared history; and to work within Brazil’s traditional role as an honest broker in multilateral affairs, with a view to enhancing the capacity of the organizations in the Hague to fulfill their roles.

Arriving for a new diplomatic posting in the midst of a pandemic, needless to say, poses a series of challenges, which I had not yet experienced in my prior appointments. As with all of us, I had to resort to videoconferencing to establish contacts with the wide role of actors I need to engage with. This was of course useful, and yet you inevitably end up missing an element of human contact which is essential for diplomatic work.

Now, with vaccination efforts rendering fruit – both in Brazil and the Netherlands – and the steady lifting of restrictions, we are ready to shift gears and resume an agenda of cultural and trade events, as well as high-level visits, taking due account of the safety measures still in place. In October, we have planned events showcasing Brazilian coffee, meat and “cachaça” (a spirit made from sugar cane, used for making “caipirinha”). In November, we will host the Brazil Network Day, at EUROPORT, in Rotterdam, focusing on port development and maritime technology. Also in November, we expect a ministerial visit which will focus on water management, as well as a high-level visit promoting business opportunities in the Northeastern state of Ceará. We also plan to sponsor a conference of the vibrant diaspora of Brazilian researchers and graduate students in the Netherlands, as well as promote the participation of Brazilian start-ups in events such as The Next Web, strengthening the ties on the business side of cutting-edge technology. In the field of culture, we look forward to continuing our fruitful cooperation with the International Film Festival Rotterdam, which over the years has proved to be an extremely valuable platform for young Brazilian directors and actors to exhibit their work. We thus expect an exciting finish to a challenging year, portending a heightened agenda for the coming years, and fully reflecting the intensity of relations between Brazil and the Netherlands.

NOW, WITH VACCINATION EFFORTS RENDERING FRUIT AND THE STEADY LIFTING OF RESTRICTIONS, WE ARE READY TO SHIFT GEARS AND RESUME AN AGENDA OF CULTURAL AND TRADE EVENTS