Ambassador Cortese Unveils New Brazil-Italy Institute in Diplomatic Ceremony

Brasilia: The Italian Ambassador to Brazil, Alessandro Cortese, inaugurated the Brazil-Italy Institute in a ceremony held at the diplomatic headquarters. This event was organized in collaboration with the president of the Brazil-Italy Joint Parliamentary Front, MP Luiz Fernando Faria, and the vice-president of the Italian Chamber of Commerce of So Paulo, Fabio Ongaro. The institute is described as an ‘operational arm’ of the Bilateral Parliamentary Front, which includes nearly 300 deputies and senators.

According to Ansa News Agency, the ceremony was attended by parliamentarians, managers, and entrepreneurs representing major Italian companies operating in Brazil. Ambassador Cortese highlighted the significance of the group within the Brazilian Congress, calling it ‘the largest of all joint parliamentary fronts with foreign countries’ and a means to foster mutual friendship and Italian interests in Brazil.

The creation of the Brazil-Italy Institute comes in the context of a growing trade interchange between the two countries, which reached approximately USD 11 billion in 2024, marking a 9% increase from the previous year. The new body aims to provide “member companies with privileged access and establish a very solid link with the Front, as well as with Congress.”

Ambassador Cortese also noted the strong trade and investment ties, which are part of an ‘intense exchange of political visits.’ This exchange includes visits from President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to Brazil in 2024, and President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and several members of his government to Italy.

The ambassador expressed optimism about the future, noting that the positive trade figures from 2024 are likely to continue, with the first four months of 2025 confirming this trend. At this pace, 2025 could potentially become a record year for trade between Brazil and Italy.