"One of the most outstanding diplomats of his generation," says Itamaraty about Samuel Pinheiro Guimarães.

247 - The Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement expressing regret for death of Ambassador Samuel Pinheiro Guimarães, aged 84, in Brasília, this Monday (29). The note says that Guimarães was "one of the most outstanding diplomats of his generation".

Read in full: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs registers, with great sorrow, the passing of Ambassador Samuel Pinheiro Guimarães Neto, which occurred this morning, January 29th, in Brasília. One of the most distinguished diplomats of his generation, the Ambassador served as Secretary-General of Itamaraty from January 2003 to October 2009 and was a key figure in the formulation and execution of Brazilian foreign policy during the first two terms of President Lula.

Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1939, Samuel Pinheiro Guimarães Neto graduated in Legal and Social Sciences from the National Faculty of Law of the University of Brazil (now UFRJ) in 1963, the year he joined Itamaraty (the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs). He also earned a master's degree in economics from Boston University (1969).

Throughout a long and fruitful career, which included heading the Economic Department of Itamaraty (Brazil's Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and directing the Institute for Research in International Relations (IPRI), as well as serving as vice-president of Embrafilme (Brazilian Film Agency), she has always stood out for her independence and firmness in defending her positions on Brazil's development and international integration. In addition to her extensive career in various important positions in Brazil and abroad, culminating in her appointment as Secretary-General of Itamaraty, she also held, from the end of 2009, the position of Minister of the Secretariat of Strategic Affairs of the Presidency of the Republic (SAE) and, between 2011 and 2012, the role of High Representative of Mercosur.

As a diplomat and intellectual, he developed a broad body of reflection on Brazil's development and international integration. He distinguished himself in the formulation of regional integration policies, especially the Mercosur project, and in defending the strategic importance of the relationship with Argentina. In 2006, he was elected by the Brazilian Writers' Union to receive the Juca Pato Trophy for Intellectual of the Year, in recognition of his work "Brazilian Challenges in the Age of Giants" and his trajectory in Brazilian public debate.

In addition to deeply regretting the loss of his personal friend, Minister Mauro Vieira, on behalf of Itamaraty, expresses his deepest condolences to the family and to the many friends of Ambassador Samuel.