‘Very touched’: Brazilian President Lula reacts after Portuguese songs played during lunch with PM Modi | India News

New Delhi: Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, during his state visit to India, said he was moved by a special gesture that reminded him of a surprise he arranged for Prime Minister Modi during his visit to Brazil last year.Addressing the India-Brazil Economic Forum on Sunday, the President recalled that at a luncheon and a state dinner, songs by Brazilian composers – including the iconic Asa Branca – were played, leaving him “surprised” by the thoughtful tribute.“I was surprised yesterday, at the state dinner and also at the lunch. I don’t know if Brazilian journalists remember this or not, but when PM Modi visited Brazil last year, we researched the song he liked the most. We went to São Paulo to try to find a singer who could sing the song he enjoyed the most. So we threw a surprise for him at the Palacio da Alvorada in Brazil and it was visible that he was touched by the song we chose to play for him,” he said.“Yesterday I was surprised because during lunch we started listening to a song. I saw that the song had something to do with us… Then they played other songs by Brazilian composers. They played Asa Branca,” added Lula.“I was so touched by it because I didn’t remember. I didn’t even imagine that they could remember the good reception we had for him and so they decided to give me a gift in return,” he added.President Lula was on a state visit to India from February 18-22, meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to strengthen bilateral ties and expand strategic cooperation. Addressing a joint press conference after the delegation-level talks, Prime Minister Modi outlined the key outcomes of their discussions. The two leaders set a target of increasing bilateral trade to $20 billion within five years and signed agreements in various areas including rare earth minerals, digital partnership and mining cooperation.Energy cooperation has also emerged as a key pillar, with both sides agreeing to accelerate cooperation on renewable energy and sustainable energy. President Lula described the meeting as “a partnership between two major global powers of the Global South” and highlighted the strategic importance of India-Brazil relations.“My dear friend Modi, it is my pleasure to return to this country for the sixth time. The meeting between India and Brazil is a meeting par excellence. We are not just the two largest democracies of the Global South. It is a meeting of a digital superpower with a renewable energy superpower,” he said. He stressed the importance of multilateral cooperation, saying, “A turbulent global situation requires our countries to strengthen and deepen our strategic dialogue. India and Brazil are important voices in the UN, WTO and G20.President Lula was accompanied by a delegation of top business leaders and attended the 2nd AI Impact Summit, as well as a state banquet hosted by President Draupadi Murmu.