8 June 2015

India and Brazil: Prospects for 2015



India and Brazil: Prospects for 2015

India and Brazil are two major components of a new world order that is challenging the existing system through forums like BRICS and IBSA. With the establishment of the New Development Bank and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, these two countries are at the forefront of an emerging alternate financial architecture. As strategic partners, India and Brazil coordinate in the UN, G-20 and other multilateral groupings. A crucial aspect of the India-Brazil bilateral relationship is trade, which has been on the rise, crossing $10 billion in 2012.

How has the India-Brazil relationship evolved over the years? Together, how can they positively influence the new global framework? What impact will the current political and economic situation in Brazil have on the future of bilateral ties, both economic and political? What can India and Brazil do to take their partnership to the next level?

In the 11th meeting of the Economic and Business series, Gateway House held a meeting ‘India and Brazil: Prospects for 2015’ with Brazilian Ambassador Carlos Sérgio Sobral Duarte and Director Neelam Deo.

Carlos Sérgio Sobral Duarte

Ambassador, Federal Republic of Brazil

Ambassador Carlos Sergio Sobral Duarte has been Brazil’s Ambassador to India since 2012. An economics graduate from the University of Sussex, UK, he holds a post graduate higher studies degree from Brazilian Diplomatic Academy. Ambassador Duarte had earlier served in the Brazilian missions at the United Nations (both New York and Geneva), Argentina and Venezuela. He also headed the United Nations Division at the Ministry of External Relations in Brazil. Ambassador Duarte has also been Assistant to the Diplomatic Advisor, Presidency of the Republic of Brazil from 1993 to 1995 and Advisor to the Minister of External Relations from 2001 to 2002. Among his publications are Nuclear Disarmament: a 21st Century Challenge, Towards a World Free from Weapons of Mass Destruction: Disarmament and Non-Proliferation and Brazilian Accession to the NPT and the New International Scenario. Among the several honours he has received are the Rio Branco Order from the Ministry of External Relations (2002), Defence Merit Order from the Ministry of Defence (2010) and the Tamandaré Merit Order from the Navy (2011).

Neelam Deo

Director, Gateway House

A distinguished diplomat, Neelam has been the Indian Ambassador to Denmark and Ivory Coast with concurrent accreditation to several West African countries. She has also served in Indian embassies in Washington D.C., Bangkok and Rome. Her last assignment was as Consul General in New York. Her most challenging mission was liaising with the U.S. congress on strategic issues in Washington DC. During her assignments in the Ministry of External Affairs, she was Joint Secretary for Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and the Maldives. At different times she has been on the desk for South East Asia and the Pacific, the Middle East and North Africa and Bhutan. Ambassador Deo has a Master’s degree from the Delhi School of Economics. She is currently on the board of Breakthrough (a human rights organization), Oxfam India and Morgan Stanley Mutual Fund. She writes for several mainstream publications, and is an occasional commentator for mainstream television news channels.

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