French President Macron arrives in Brazil and discovers the Amazon on board a boat – News

The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, arrived in Brazil this Tuesday (26) for a three-day official visit. He was received by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Belém (PA). The leaders traveled aboard a boat along the Guamá River towards Combu Island, where Macron will visit a local cocoa producer. It is the first time that the French president has been to the Amazon.

Lula and Macron are accompanied by the governor of Pará, Helder Barbalho, and government ministers. After the trip to the cocoa producer, meetings are planned with indigenous leaders, and the French president must pay tribute to chief Raoni Metuktire, from the Caiapó ethnic group. Belém will host the United Nations Conference on Climate Change in 2025. In this part of the official visit, the focus is on the Amazon.

On Wednesday (27), Macron and Lula participate in the launch ceremony of the Tonelero, a conventional diesel-electric propulsion submarine, at the Itaguaí Naval Base (RJ). The equipment was built through the Submarine Program (Prosub), a partnership between Brazil and France made in 2008.

Still on Wednesday (27), Macron heads to São Paulo (SP), without the presence of Lula. In the capital of São Paulo, the Frenchman will meet with investors and businesspeople.

The next day, he goes to Brasília to sign acts. Macron and Lula must sign 15 texts, involving topics such as Embrapa’s technical cooperation with the French counterpart, modernization of public and audiovisual management and the creation of an immunology center in Ceará.

During Macron’s official visit to Brazil, the two presidents must also discuss the agreement between Mercosur and the European Union. Macron is one of the European leaders most critical of the partnership. His assessment is that the negotiations could negatively affect the competitiveness of the French in relation to the South Americans, especially on agricultural issues. Negotiations should resume in the second half of the year, and the Brazilian side expects it to be concluded this year.

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