The President visited 13 countries on nine trips during the year. leaves for Brussels this Saturday evening (15 July).
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) travels to Brussels, Belgium this Saturday evening (15 July 2023) to attend the 3rd Celac (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) EU (European Union) Summit. This will be the PT’s 9th international trip of 2023 and the 13th country it visits, completing 37 days outside of Brazil this year when it returns on Wednesday (July 19) morning.
The agreement between Mercosur and the European Union should be the focus of the agenda of the event in Brussels. A counterproposal for an agreement has already been approved by Brazil and sent to the other countries of the South American bloc, which must now technically analyze the proposed terms, the report said. Power360.
In Belgium, discussions must take place between technicians from both sides. Publicly, Lula has to reiterate his position that he criticizes the additional letter from the Europeans, while Mercosur’s counterproposal is not yet defined.
The public criticism that the PT primarily expresses relates to the possibility of opening up public procurement processes to foreign companies as well. According to him, this niche of state purchases should be used to promote small and mediumsized enterprises.
The idea behind this is that with the pandemic it became clear that countries need to have the industrial capacity to respond quickly to specific threats without being dependent on other nations.
In addition, Lula does not want environmental sanctions to be foreseen. According to the Brazilian government Power360even agrees to discuss the issue, albeit in a cooperative tone rather than one of threats and distrust.
Earlier this month in Argentina, the president said it was necessary to respond “quickly and forcefully” to demands put forward in a recent letter by the European Union as part of negotiations for an agreement between the two blocs.
Speaking at the 62nd Summit of Mercosur Leaders, Lula said the document was “unacceptable”.
“The additional instrument presented by the European Union in March is unacceptable. Strategic partners do not negotiate on the basis of distrust and the threat of sanctions. “It is imperative for Mercosur to respond quickly and vigorously,” he said.
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“Lula World Tour”
In his international agenda, Lula made it a point to visit other European countries such as Portugal, Spain, Italy and France. The Petista traveled to the coronation of Charles III. to the UK, a trip that cost R$3 million. For China and the United Arab Emirates, the cost was BRL 6.6 million.
The last time Lula went to Europe in June, he was attending a summit organized by the French government to discuss a new global fiscal pact. At the event, he again criticized the additional letter sent by the European Union to Mercosur on the interbloc agreement.
Before France, Lula traveled to Rome and the Vatican. Since taking over the Planalto in January, the PT has spent 33 days outside of Brazil. In his new term of office he has already traveled to twelve countries.
After taking office, the first trip outside of Brazil was to Argentina and Uruguay in January. The following month he traveled to the United States to meet with US President Joe Biden.