Brazilian-Iraqi relations

In 1967, diplomatic relations between the countries were established ^[1] , and at the end of 1973, Brazil opened an embassy in Iraq and signed cooperation agreements with this country. In 1975, Brazil, due to the intensification of the oil crisis and the search for a source of investment, began to adjust its foreign policy to build strong relations with the countries of the Arab world ^[2] .

In 1990, the Gulf War began , which put Brazil in a very delicate position. The U.S. Congress accused Brazil of exporting technology to Iraq to develop Mectron MAA-1 Piranha missiles. The retired Brazilian Air Force general , Hugo Oliveira Piva, arrived with a group of Brazilian technicians in Baghdad to complete this project, but, under pressure from President Fernando Colora di Melo, turned his back on his activities and returned to his homeland. During Operation Desert Storm, several hundred Brazilian workers from the construction company Mendes Júnior, as well as equipment worth several million US dollars, were in southern Iraq, working on railway and irrigation projects. Thus, Brazil did not take part in the military operations of the UN coalition against Iraq. The Brazilian government had to send its diplomats to London to discuss the possibility of withdrawing Mendes Júnior personnel and equipment from Iraq. ^[2]

After the end of the Gulf War, Brazil became the first Latin American country to reopen its embassy in Iraq ^[3] . In 2003, Brazil did not support the invasion of the United States and its allies in Iraq , which resulted in the overthrow of Saddam Hussein , but took part in the restoration of the Iraqi economy after the end of the active phase of armed operations ^[3] . On August 19, 2003, a Brazilian diplomat, Sergio Vieira de Mello, died in a bombing of a UN building in Baghdad ^[4] .

In the 1970s, strong economic relations were established between the countries. Brazil needed oil to develop industrial production, and Iraq imported food, household appliances, cars and weapons from that country. In the 1980s, Brazil was an important industrial supplier to Iraq and imported significant volumes of oil from that country. Trade between the countries amounted to about 4 billion US dollars ^[3] .

In 1980, the Iran-Iraq war broke out , at that moment almost 35% of Brazil's imported oil came from Iraq. In 1981, there were reports that Brazil sold low-enriched uranium ore to Iraq ^[2] . According to the newspaper Jornal da Tarde, about 40 Brazilian scientists worked on Osirak during the Israeli bombing of 1981 ^[5] . In 1991, trade relations between the countries were terminated due to the outbreak of the Gulf War, when Brazil supported the Security Council sanctions imposed against Iraq. In 2001, countries resumed active trade relations and tried to establish closer commercial ties ^[1] .