Pres. Cyril Ramaphosa together with his Brazilian counterpart Pres. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. (Photo: Kopano Tlape/GCIS)
The Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva pres. Cyril Ramaphosa urged to strengthen defense cooperation and warned that both countries are vulnerable to foreign invasions.
Ramaphosa is on a two-day state visit to Brazil. Lula and Ramaphosa are both critical of the war against Iran waged by the US and Israel.
“I don’t know if Comrade Ramaphosa realizes that if we don’t prepare ourselves in terms of defense, someone will invade us one day,” said Lula.
“We have to combine our potential and see what we can produce together, build together. We don’t have to keep buying from foreign arms suppliers.”
Ramaphosa noted that, in terms of defense and aviation, Brazil is “much more advanced” than South Africa.
“We have a lot to learn from each other and we also have a lot to show you.” The two countries’ defense ministers would meet on Monday to work on a cooperation agreement.
“In South America we present ourselves as a region of peace. Nobody has a nuclear bomb, nobody has an atomic bomb. So we think of defense as deterrence,” said Lula.
Ramaphosa once again called for an immediate cessation of hostilities regarding the conflict in the Middle East.
“We reiterate our call for the peaceful resolution of all disputes in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations. We condemn the loss of civilian life and the destruction of essential infrastructure.”
South Africa and Brazil are members of the Brics group, which pres. Donald Trump labeled as “anti-American”. The group also includes China, Russia and Iran.
On Saturday, Trump offered to help Latin American leaders fight drug cartels with US missile strikes targeting drug lords.
Brazilian media reported on Monday that Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed Washington’s possible designation of Brazil’s two largest criminal factions as terrorist organizations by telephone.