Brazil’s Foreign Policy Strategy during the Presidency of Collor: Relations with the EEC (1989-1992)

Abstract

The paper examines the foreign policy strategy of President Collor in the relations between Brazil and the European Union. Brazilian foreign policy was aimed at integrating the country into the world economy and politics. With the beginning of his presidential term, Collor determined to identify new goalposts for the country’s foreign policy. The president supported the idea of modernizing and developing the own foreign policy concept so that Brazil would take its place among the «first world» countries. Therefore, his government was for the formation of new foreign policy priorities that would have included relations with the developed countries. Obviously, Collor was aware that in a mutually dependent world, which was going through changes and deep transformations, no single country, including Brazil, was guarded against the risks existing in international politics. Consequently, the relations with the EEC were of great importance for the Brazilian government.

The Brazilian leadership considered the relationship with the EEC as one of the foreign policy priorities and the important guideline aimed to fulfil the long-term interests of the country in the political, trade, economic and social spheres. In practice, the volition of the government of Collor to develop relations with the EEC took the form of the world tour to twelve countries of the world, which had to help restoring the confidence in Brazil. The tour was due to the need to attract investors to Brazil. The above-mentioned factors contributed to the emergence in Brazil of a new foreign policy model – presidential diplomacy. Indeed, under the new conditions, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was assigned a secondary part in the formation of foreign policy, while the President directly took an active part in the implementation of the foreign policy line of the country. Also, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not play a major role in shaping the foreign policy and implementing a foreign policy strategy. It is determined that diplomatic interest from the EEC towards Brazil had increased and vice versa. Thus, getting acquainted with the Brazilian experience of conducting foreign policy, will promote the development and formation of the Ukrainian foreign policy course.