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Lula was greeted by UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the presidential palace in Abu Dhabi with a 21-gun salute and formation jets trailing the Brazilian flag.
Lula, who returned to power in January after two presidential terms from 2003 to 2010, played Brazil’s national anthem and inspected a guard of honor.
He was scheduled to attend an “iftar” dinner — the daily meal that breaks the fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan — and would leave early on Sunday, officials said.
The strategically located Gulf monarchy is Brazil’s second-largest trading partner in the Middle East, according to the official WAM news agency.
Bilateral trade, excluding petroleum products, totaled more than $4 million last year, up 32 percent from 2021, WAM said.
In Beijing, Lula sought to cement economic ties with Brazil’s main trading partner, saying his country was “back on the international stage” and ready to mediate an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Lula also accused the United States of “encouraging” war and said it was time to “start talking about peace”.
Both China and Brazil have refused to join Western countries in enforcing sanctions over Moscow’s intrusion, which fears the two potential mediators are too comfortable with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The UAE maintains a neutral stance in the conflict.
Since the February 2022 invasion, its financial hub Dubai has attracted Russian professionals and businessmen fleeing the fallout of Western sanctions.
© 2023 AFP
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