Meeting British Nationals in Rio (the hostel situation)

What are your main responsibilities as Ambassador?

Brazil is an emerging economy — the world’s 10th largest — and increasingly influential in world affairs. My job is to strengthen UK-Brazil co-operation to promote our objectives: address the world economic crisis; achieve a global agreement to meet the threat of climate change; reduce world poverty;  and deal effectively with the threats of conflict, drugs, terrorism and proliferation. I lead the services we offer in Brazil to UK citizens, helping individuals in difficulty, assisting UK companies and acting as a gateway between UK and Brazil.

Can you give us some examples of your work in Brazil?

We recently helped 10 Britons who were attacked in a hostel in Rio, liaising with the police, making contacts with relatives, providing them with the information they needed. I met some of them personally and was thrilled to hear they felt proud to be British because of our consular team’s excellent response.

I am about to accompany the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall on a four-day visit to Brazil. This will be a great chance to highlight the importance of addressing climate change and in particular strengthening international support for the Brazilian government’s work to reduce drastically deforestation of the Amazon rainforest and to promote a sustainable way of life for the 25 million people who live in the Amazon region.

I am preparing a visit by the Prime Minister and Business Secretary Lord Mandelson to Brazil. The trip is to help boost our co-operation with Brazil in responding to the world economic crisis at the London Summit of 2nd April and to help a delegation of UK companies explore opportunities for trade and investment.

Can you explain one of the ways you are helping British businesses in Brazil?

Whisky is a successful UK export to Brazil. It is challenged by other drinks but also by counterfeiting. I discussed the latter point this week with the Brazilian Ministry of Justice who agreed to a seminar to address this problem not only for whisky but other UK products.

What is one of the things you most like about Brazil and what do you miss about Britain?

I love the diversity of the people in Brazil. One white-skinned, fair haired descendant on his mother’s side of Ukrainian immigrants told me he had a black father and siblings: he described himself as white on the outside and black inside. One of the things I miss about Britain is watching Crawley Town FC.

Lord Malloch Brown visit to Brazil