Lula will have a long agenda of bilateral meetings and commitments in Belgium
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva arrives in Brussels, Belgium, on Sunday afternoon 16/07 for the third Summit between CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) and the European Union. The meeting, the first between the two blocs since 2015, will cover various topics of international interest. In parallel, the Brazilian President will make several other commitments.
The main issues to be addressed include the fight against hunger, environmental challenges, the reform of the international financial system, the fight against climate change, the energy transition, the fight against transnational organized crime and sustainable development in economic, social and economic terms . Environment.
During a press conference this Thursday, July 13, at the Itamaraty Palace, the Secretary for Latin America at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Gisela Padovan, the Secretary for Europe and North America, Ambassador Maria Luísa Escorel and the Director of Ambassadors of the Ministry of Economy, Finance said and Services Policy, Philip FoxDrummond Gough, outlined Brazil’s goals at the event.
“This meeting is important to give new impetus to bilateral relations against a background of geopolitical tensions and increasing poverty and hunger,” said Gisela Padovan. “A UN report was released yesterday showing that nearly 800 million people around the world are suffering from famine. Against this background and against the background of environmental challenges, it is very important for the two regions to work towards a common agenda,” added the ambassador.
full program
On Monday morning, Lula will attend the opening of the CELAC European Economic Forum and in the afternoon the opening session of the summit meeting between the two blocs. Tuesday will see a breakfast of progressive Latin American and European leaders, followed by the summit’s plenary session, along with a working lunch for participants.
A press conference by President Lula is also scheduled for Tuesday to summarize his attendance at the events.
Bilateral
The Brazilian government received several requests for bilateral meetings. President Lula will hold a meeting with Belgian leaders, King Filipe and Prime Minister Alexander de Croo. Meetings are also planned with Austrian Prime Minister Karl Nehammer, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristenssen and Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley.
Meetings are also confirmed with European Commission President Ursula van der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola.
“There was a wealth of requests for bilateral talks, both with the President and with Minister Mauro Vieira,” reported Ambassador Maria Luísa Escorel. “We are delighted to be taking part after so many years. CELAC and the European Union have many things in common in terms of values, goals, interests, environmental cooperation, energy transition, health, defense and a number of areas.”
Mercosur and European Union
On the issue of negotiations for a trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union, Ambassador Philip FoxDrummond Gough took the opportunity to state that the Brazilian government should soon come up with a proposal for a response to the change tabled by the Europeans in March in the areas of environmental protection and government purchases.
However, before the text can be analyzed by the European bloc, it must be analyzed by Brazil’s partners in Mercosur, the governments of Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. “We will send the technical work to Mercosur in a short time. The next phase will be the discussion in the block, immediately after the document is delivered. “We assume that we will be able to pass the text on to the European side in a few weeks and then expect an intensive discussion process,” explained the diplomat.
From the Plateau website