Foreign Affairs

Brazil has welcomed flows of immigrants from Lebanon since the nineteenth century, mostly Christians, which led to the formation of an important Lebanese community in the country. It is estimated that around 7 to 10 million Brazilians have Lebanese ancestry – this human bond between both countries is one of the main assets of the bilateral relationship. The Lebanese community in Brazil is extremely active, keeping highly prominent institutions, such as the Syrian-Lebanese Hospital in São Paulo.

Brazil established a Consulate in Beirut in 1920. Diplomatic relations were established in 1945, two years after Lebanon's independence. In 1954, the Brazilian Embassy was opened in Beirut and the Lebanese Embassy was opened in Brazil – the Lebanese Embassy was one of the first Missions to be transferred from Rio de Janeiro to Brasilia.

Brazil has actively contributed to peace and stability in the country. Since 2011, Brazil has been in command of the Maritime Task Force of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). As the conflict in Syria worsened, the Brazilian Government has repeatedly expressed its support for Lebanon in its task of maintaining the stability of the country. The Minister of Defense, Celso Amorim, visited the country in 2012.

In 2011, Vice-President Michel Temer – of Lebanese origin – visited Lebanon, accompanied by a delegation of parliamentarians and businessmen. In that same year the Brazil-Lebanon Cultural Center was opened. With an increasing number of activities and students, the Center also assists Lebanese military who will attend specialization courses in Brazil.

Chronology of bilateral relations

1876 – Private visit by D. Pedro II to Lebanon, then part of the Ottoman Empire

1880 – The first significant contingent of Lebanese immigrants, predominantly Christian, arrives in Brazil

1920 – Opening of Consulate of Brazil in Beirut

1945 – Establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries after Lebanon independence in 1943

1946 – Consulate-General of Brazil receives the status of Legation

1954 – The President of the Republic, Camille Chamoun, visits Brazil

1954 – Opening of Lebanese Embassy in Rio de Janeiro

1954 – Opening of Brazilian Embassy in Beirut

1961 – Transfer of the Lebanese Embassy to Brasília

1975 – Beginning of the Civil War in Lebanon, which also marks the beginning of a new wave of immigrants, with a great number of Muslims, from that country to Brazil

1995 – Prime-Minister, Rafic Hariri, visits Brazil

1997 – President Elias Hraoui visits Brazil

1997 – Minister of Foreign Affairs Luis Felipe Lampreia visits Lebanon

2003 – Minister of Foreign Affairs Celso Amorim visits Lebanon

2003 – Prime-Minister Rafic Hariri visits Brazil

2005 – Minister of Foreign Affairs Celso Amorim visits Lebanon

2005 – Prime-Minister Najib Mikati visits Brazil

2006 – Opening of Consulate-General of Brazil in Beirut

2006 – Minister for Education Fernando Haddad visits Lebanon

2006 – Minister of Foreign Affairs Celso Amorim visits Lebanon in the context of a humanitarian relief mission during Lebanon Second War

2010 – State visit of President Michel Sleiman to Brazil

2011 – Vice-President Michel Temer visits Lebanon

2011 – Opening of Brazil-Lebanon Cultural Center in Beirut

2011 – Brazil contributes with military personnel to UNIFIL

2012 – Minister of Defense Celso Amorim visits Lebanon