Lula charges Macron with nuclear technology and French signals cooperation

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) said this Wednesday (27 March 2024) he wanted to strengthen the technological partnership with France for the development of a submarine with nuclear technology not to wage war, but to guarantee peace. The statement was made alongside the French president, Emmanuel Macron, at a ceremony launching the Tonelero submarine, at the Itaguaí Naval Complex (RJ).

“We want to have the knowledge to guarantee that all countries that want peace know that Brazil will be on everyone’s side because war does not build, war destroys. What it builds is development, scientific and technological knowledge and it is in this area that we want to strengthen our partnership with the French people”said Lula.

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The Tonelero is the 3rd Brazilian conventionally propelled submarine and is part of the Submarine Development Program, ProSub, developed in partnership between Brazil and France.

The partnership was signed in 2008, with a budget of around R$40 billion. The initial forecast was that Tonelero would be put into operation in 2020.

Under the program, 5 submarines must be built in Brazil, 4 conventional and 1 nuclear powered. Of the total, 3 are already in operation.

One of the main points of Prosub is precisely the transfer of French technology for the construction of national vessels, but Brazil still demands more cooperation in relation to nuclear technology.

During the event, Macron said he wanted “start a new page” in the relationship with Brazil and stated that he hoped “open a chapter of new submarines”. However, he said it was necessary to respect “the most demanding commitments against nuclear spread”.

“We want to start a new page, thanks to our diplomatic intimacy, thanks to the strength of our military ties, to produce, together, in a respectful and balanced way, just as we did here, we want to achieve, even more […] And, perhaps, to celebrate the nuclear-powered submarine that you will have built within the strict international legal framework”, said the president of France.