The French Minister of Foreign Affairs arrives in Brazil this Wednesday (8) for an official meeting with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) and with Ministers Mauro Vieira (Foreign Affairs) and Marina Silva (Environment). The meeting between the two foreign ministers is considered the first step towards organizing the trip of the president of France, Emmanuel Macron, to Brazil, which should take place in 2023.
On the discussion agenda are agendas related to the environment, defense, science and technology, in addition to bilateral coordination in the United Nations Security Council.
In the last week of January, after meeting with the Federal Chancellor of Germany, Olaf Scholz, Lula returned to defend a reform of the United Nations System, with the inclusion of Brazil in the UN Security Council.
Other subjects under debate will be policies aimed at preserving the Amazon, the trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union, and the war in Ukraine. The French minister should reiterate the request that Brazil join a western front in support of Ukraine. The Brazilian president, however, has already stated on more than one occasion that he intends to lead a group of countries that negotiate peace between Moscow and Kiev.
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On January 26, the two presidents spoke by telephone about cooperation on environmental issues, the war in Ukraine, and the defense of democracy. Macron also expressed his support for Lula after the January 8 invasion of the headquarters of the three powers.
“During our phone call, I reiterated France’s support to President Lula after the attacks on Brazilian democracy. We reaffirm our determination to act in favor of the climate, biodiversity, our forests and against hunger. We will overcome these challenges”, published Macron on his social media shortly after the phone call.
Lula classified the conversation as “excellent” and said that he was waiting for Macron’s visit to “deepen the joint work against climate change, in the fight against hunger and in defense of the environment”. One of the proposals under discussion is that the French representative attend the summit of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO), which brings together Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela, which still does not have a date. defined, but was defended by the Brazilian delegation at the last Climate Summit (COP27), held in November in Egypt.
Speaking to local media, Colonna said that his trip seeks to re-establish good relations with Brazil and create bridges with Brazilian businessmen.
From Brasília, the head of French diplomacy will travel to São Paulo to meet with Governor Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans). Colonna will also meet with philosopher Djamila Ribeiro at Espaço Feminismos Plurales, founded by the activist last year, in São Paulo. Judge Domitila Manssur and the institutional manager of Fundo Socioambiental CASA, Cristina Orpheo, should also attend the meeting.
In 2022, Brazil exported US$ 3.5 billion to France and imported around US$ 4.9 billion, according to the Ministry of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services. Brazilian sales are mostly soybeans (21%), oil (16%) and cellulose (7.5%). French imports are engines and generators (15%), chemical components for the manufacturing industry (8.9%) and medicines (5.2%).
Brazil is France’s biggest trading partner in Latin America, with 21% of trade, according to the Brazil-France Chamber of Commerce.
Editing: Thales Schmidt
Source: www.brasildefato.com.br
