The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE; pt, Ministério das Relações Exteriores, links=no; literally: ''Ministry of External Relations'') conducts

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

's foreign relations with other countries. It is commonly referred to in Brazilian media and diplomatic jargon as Itamaraty, after the palace which houses the ministry (originally in

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a ...

, and currently in a second location which also bears this name in

Brasília Brasília (; ) is the federal capital of Brazil and seat of government of the Federal District. The city is located at the top of the Brazilian highlands in the country's Central-West region. It was founded by President Juscelino Kubitsche ...

). Since 29 March 2021, the minister responsible is Carlos Alberto França. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs operates the

Rio Branco Institute The Rio Branco Institute (; Abbreviation: IRBr) is a graduate school of International Relations and diplomatic academy located in Brasília, Brazil. The institute was created on April 18, 1945, as part of the centennial celebration of the birth o ...

and the Alexandre de Gusmão Foundation.

History

There were three relevant moments that defined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as the institution that would later be established. The first was the signature of the 1750 Spanish–Portuguese treaty, which re-established the borders set in the Treaty of Tordesillas. This moment was not a foreign issue policy of Brazil per se, but was instead a pursuit of interests by the Portuguese in their largest colony. There was, however, a notable Brazilian in the diplomatic corps, Alexandre de Gusmão, who directed the Portuguese foreign policy of trying to separate the Americas from the subject of European successions. The height of Gusmão's diplomatic effort was the signing of the Treaty of Madrid of 1750, in which territorial issues in South America were resolved. The second relevant historic moment was the transfer of the Portuguese Court to Brazil in 1808 as a result of the

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...

, when the capital of the

Portuguese Empire The Portuguese Empire ( pt, Império Português), also known as the Portuguese Overseas (''Ultramar Português'') or the Portuguese Colonial Empire (''Império Colonial Português''), was composed of the overseas colonies, factories, and the ...

and all its bureaucracy were transferred to Rio de Janeiro. The transfer of the Portuguese Court heavily influenced the Brazilian institutions that would later form. Finally, there was the participation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the process of recognizing Brazilian

independence Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...

. This moment's relevance surpassed the creation of Brazilian diplomatic institutions and for the first time tested the negotiation skills of Emperor

Peter I Peter I may refer to: Religious hierarchs * Saint Peter (c. 1 AD – c. 64–88 AD), a.k.a. Simon Peter, Simeon, or Simon, apostle of Jesus * Pope Peter I of Alexandria (died 311), revered as a saint * Peter I of Armenia (died 1058), Catholico ...

's diplomatic corps, which achieved recognition from every world power. From that moment on and since its inception in 1822, Itamaraty has defined some of its basic principles of action such as the peaceful resolution of principles and non-intervention. With the conclusion of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

and the creation of the United Nations in 1945 the ministry consolidated Brazil's presence in international forums. Notable diplomats in the history of Itamaraty include the

Viscount of Uruguay Paulino José Soares de Sousa, the Viscount of Uruguai (4 October 1808 – 15 July 1866), was a congressman, a senator, a State Councillor and a skilful diplomat. Born in Paris, he distinguished himself during the 1850s when, as Minister of For ...

, the

Baron of Rio Branco Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knigh ...

and

Osvaldo Aranha Oswaldo Euclides de Sousa Aranha (, 15 February 1894 – 27 January 1960) was a Brazilian politician, diplomat and statesman, who came to national prominence in 1930 under Getúlio Vargas. Considered a moderate by many in and outside of Brazil, ...

.CARVALHO, Carlos Delgado de. História Diplomática do Brasil. Brasília, Senado Federal, 1998;CASTRO, Flávio Mendes de Oliveira. História da Organização do Ministério das Relações Exteriores. Brasília, Editora Universidade de Brasília, 1983. Site do Ministério das Relações Exteriores: www.mre.gov.br

Main mission

The main mission of Brazilian diplomatic embassies and consulates abroad is to promote the country's interests, provide assistance to Brazilian citizens and support the activities of Brazilian companies in foreign markets.

Diplomatic missions

Permanent

diplomatic missions A diplomatic mission or foreign mission is a group of people from a state or organization present in another state to represent the sending state or organization officially in the receiving or host state. In practice, the phrase usually deno ...

are meant to carry out representation, negotiation and information activities, as well as the protection of Brazilian interests with governments of other states and

international organizations An international organization or international organisation (see spelling differences), also known as an intergovernmental organization or an international institution, is a stable set of norms and rules meant to govern the behavior of states a ...

. Brazil has an extensive diplomatic network, consisting of over 220 overseas missions: *131

embassies A diplomatic mission or foreign mission is a group of people from a state or organization present in another state to represent the sending state or organization officially in the receiving or host state. In practice, the phrase usually deno ...

*52 consulates-general, consulates, and vice-consulates *1 commercial office *1 representative office *15 delegations *100+

honorary consulate A consul is an official representative of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, as well as to facilitate trade and friendship between the people ...

Notes and references

External links

Official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
(Archive)
Official website of the Instituto Rio Branco, the Brazilian Diplomatic Academy
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Brazil) Foreign relations of Brazil

Foreign Affairs Brazil, Foreign Affairs 1736 establishments in Brazil

History

Main mission

Diplomatic missions

See also

Notes and references

External links