The speech took place in a joint statement 6 days after the PT party blamed the Ukrainian government for the conflict
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) and the Prime Minister of Portugal, António Costa, repudiated “a violation of the territorial integrity of Ukraine by Russia”, according to the joint declaration of the 13th Luso-Brazilian Summit signed by the 2 leaders. The document lists 99 items that summarize the relevant matters of the meeting held in Lisbon this Saturday (22.Apr.2023). Read the full joint statement (7 MB).
According to the text, Lula and Costa lamented the deaths caused by the conflict and discussed the effects that the war would bring to the world. They talked about “food and energy security, especially in the poorest regions of the planet”.
The speech represents a step back from Lula’s previous positions. During his trip to the United Arab Emirates on Sunday (April 16), the PT said that the war is both Russia’s and Ukraine’s fault. He also blamed the United States in part for the conflict. On Monday (April 17), he received the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Sergey Lavrov.
The President’s Actions were targeted of criticism from US representatives in Washington DC also caused reactions in Europe.
AGREEMENTS, SAVINGS AND INVESTMENT
The joint statement also addresses the leaders’ assessment of the Mercosur agreement with the European Union. They agreed on the importance of quickly formalizing the partnership in 2023. “They reaffirmed their mutual commitment to the development of joint initiatives and actions aimed at strengthening and diversifying bilateral trade exchanges”says the text.
The chiefs say they are interested in increasing the countries’ mutual economic investments. A taxation agreement between Brazil and Portugal is one of the methods mentioned to achieve the objective. The statement cites aprotocol amending the convention for the avoidance of double taxation”. Nations want to conclude negotiations on the issue “as soon as possible”.
Another promoter of economic approximation is the partnership between Brazilian and Portuguese private companies. The highlights are the energy sector groups EDP e Galp, that can “becoming producers of green hydrogen in Brazil”.
Galp has been in Brazil for over 20 years. The company’s production in Brazil must grow up to 30% in 2023.
On the environment, the statement states that Lula and Costa recognized the climate emergency and confirmed the intention to limit the increase in temperature to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels. The goal would be achieved through energy transition initiatives that eliminate carbon emissions.
“Portugal expressed its support for the Brazilian intention to host COP 30, in 2025, in the State of Pará”says the document.
The leaders also discussed ways to integrate the education systems of Brazil and Portugal, in order to facilitate the mobility of people who are studying higher education between the 2 countries.
The media were also on the agenda of the meeting. There will be cooperation from the EBC (Empresa Brasileira de Comunicação) and the Portuguese equivalent, Lusa (Agência de Notícias de Portugal).
The statement says that Lula and António praised the participation of Embraer – a Brazilian transnational aircraft manufacturing conglomerate – in the Portuguese market, especially in the promotion of technology companies and startups. The state-controlled corporation was defined as a “emblematic case”.
Read more about Lula’s visit to Portugal:
Following the meeting, the heads of government signed 13 partnership agreements between countries and gave speeches.
Watch (40min36s):
Source: https://www.poder360.com.br/internacional/lula-e-premie-portugues-repudiam-violacao-da-ucrania-pela-russia/
