President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva met, this Sunday (10), with European leaders. Furthermore, he reiterated that the agreement between Mercosur and the European Union (EU) must be balanced, allowing for an ambitious trade agenda between the blocs. The meetings took place on the sidelines of the G20 Summit, in New Delhi, India, reports “Agência Brasil”.
Lula had agendas with the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen; with the President of the European Council, Charles Michel; and with the French president, Emmanuel Macron. In the conversations, he discussed the pending issues that hinder an outcome and demanded clarity around the real possibility of an agreement. Certainly, in the president's opinion, the decision is more political than technical.
“Lula announced that Mercosur is ready to conclude the agreement as quickly as possible and that he expects a clear stance from the Europeans,” the Palácio do Planalto said in a statement. “For the Brazilian president, it no longer makes sense, after 22 years of negotiations between negotiators, to continue with the perspective of delaying consensus. Eventually, it is time for leaders on both sides to politically decide to take the agreement between the blocs forward,” says the statement.
President Lula defends firm stance against EU environmental sanctions and seeks balanced Mercosur-EU agreement
The Brazilian president reaffirmed that Mercosur does not accept positions such as the additional letter that the European Union made this year. Therefore, this includes possibilities for sanctions based on environmental issues. However, the European group wants to establish punishment for anyone who fails to comply with the terms of the Paris Agreement, in addition to the international treaty on climate change adopted in 2015.
However, in previous statements, Lula has already said that the proposal is unacceptable. However, according to Planalto, he is confident of reaching, by the end of the year, “a balanced agreement that takes into account the needs of both sides”. Under Brazil's leadership, Mercosur delivered, a few days ago, a counterproposal to the Europeans' additional document.
For Lula, the proposal also disregards Brazil's credentials on the topic. Furthermore, to the leaders, he cited the federal government's work to reduce deforestation in the Amazon. Similarly, he mentioned the initiative to bring together authorities from eight countries in the region at the Amazon Summit, in August, in Belém.
Approved in 2019, after 20 years of negotiations, the Mercosur-EU agreement needs to be ratified by the parliaments of all countries in both blocs to come into force. The negotiation involves 31 countries.
Lula also reiterated that Brazil does not give up on government purchases, however, as he considers it an essential tool for the country's reindustrialization. The proposed agreement provides that foreign suppliers of goods and services can be contracted in Brazil and participate in a series of public tenders in the country.
Through social media, Ursula von der Leyen agreed with the intention of finding a consensual path. “The European Union values the partnership with Brazil. Furthermore, we want to re-energize it. And we need to find a path for the European Union and Mercosur”, he wrote.
Cultural partnership
Lula and Macron agreed to re-edit, in 2025, a cultural partnership bringing Brazilian and French representatives to cross-presentations. The actions will follow models similar to the Years of Brazil in France and France in Brazil, with programs taking place in the 2000s.
Lula and Macron also discussed a cooperation agenda in areas such as defense and the environment. Furthermore, the Brazilian reinforced the invitation to Macron for his first official visit to Brazil and heard from the European that this opportunity is expected to occur in the first half of 2024.
Brazil and France signed a strategic partnership in 2006 to promote political dialogue and economic-commercial relations. The two countries also have cooperation in the areas of defense, space, nuclear energy and sustainable development. The partnership also covers education, science and technology, migration and cross-border issues.
In 2022, bilateral trade moved around US$ 8.45 billion in goods.
Saudi Arabia
Lula also spoke, for the first time, with the crown prince and prime minister of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman. Furthermore, “The Saudis want more investments in oil, gas and green sources in Brazil and to resume the recently stopped trade agenda”, informed President Lula.
“The Saudi delegation will visit Brazil soon to explore PAC projects open to foreign investment,” said President Lula. Later, the foreign ministries of both countries will discuss this agenda.
“Certainly, Lula considers Saudi investments crucial in the transition to a sustainable economy, including technology and green hydrogen”, says Palácio do Planalto.
Furthermore, trade relations between the two countries have been growing year after year and, in 2022, the volume traded reached US$ 8.2 billion.
In the conversation, the Brazilian president also welcomed Saudi Arabia as a new member country of Brics. The Arab nation, together with Argentina, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia and Iran, is part of the group of six new members made official in August. Until then, the bloc of emerging countries was made up exclusively of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
Source: datagro
