Lula has been sworn in as president for the third time.

Brazil’s incoming President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announced on Sunday his intention to strengthen cooperation within the framework of the BRICS association

“Our leading role will be embodied in the resumption of South American integration on the basis of Mercosur (the South American Common Market ), based on the revival of the Union of South American Nations and other sovereign institutions of our region. On this basis, we will be able to build an active and productive dialogue with the United States, the EU, China, Asian countries and other global players, strengthening BRICS and cooperation with African countries in order to break through the isolation in which the country has been in recent years,” he said during his inaugural speech.