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Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will take his first official trip abroad at the end of January, when he is scheduled to visit Argentina.

It will be followed by visits to the USA, China and Portugal, a presidential source said, quoted by France Presse.

The leftist leader, who took office as Brazil's president for a third time on Sunday, will travel to Buenos Aires for the Community of Latin American and Caribbean (CELAC) summit on January 23 and 24.

The 77-year-old Lula will then meet his American counterpart Joe Biden in Washington.

However, the date of his visit there has not yet been determined, the same source noted.

A trip to China - Brazil's main trading partner - will take place "after March", the presidential source added.

The presidential office also confirmed that Lula da Silva will be in Portugal from April 22 to 25, as announced a day earlier by Portuguese head of state Marcelo Rebelo de Souza.

With the planned visits, Lula, who already headed South America's largest economy from 2003 to 2010, has demonstrated his desire to lift Brazil out of the international isolation that marked the rule of his far-right predecessor Jair Bolsonaro.

In his inauguration speech to Congress, Lula pledged to renew "South American integration" and resume "active dialogue with the United States, the European Community and China."

Lula da Silva took office as president of Brazil for the third time

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken spoke yesterday with Brazil's new foreign minister, Mauro Vieira, and discussed Lula da Silva's trip to Washington.

The two also discussed Venezuela, ministry sources told Reuters.

At a time when the Biden administration is easing some sanctions against Venezuela, the new Brazilian government could become a bridge to Caracas because of Lula's good relationship with Venezuelan leaders, they said.

Blinken spoke with Vieira for about 40 minutes, also discussing with him cooperation in the field of environment and trade, notes BTA.

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