MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Lula and Biden share common views during phone call

With Lula's approach to deforestation in the Amazon, the European Union might soon ratify the Mercosur trade agreement

US President Joseph Biden and Brazil's President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva held a telephone conversation during which they concurred on several issues, it was reported.

“The two leaders spoke of the strong U.S.-Brazil relationship and pledged to continue working as partners to address common challenges, including combating climate change, safeguarding food security, promoting inclusion and democracy, and managing regional migration,” according to an official statement.
Lula also insisted he will fight deforestation and that “Brazil is back” on the international scene.

Biden underlined that the elections in which Lula beat Jair Bolsonaro by 50.9% to 49.1% of the votes, were “free, fair and credible” and praised “the strength of Brazil's democratic institutions.”

“Brazil's democratic institutions carried out yesterday what can be described as an exemplary election,” said State Department spokesman Ned Price. Brazil is “a leading democracy in the region, a country with which we share a number of important interests,” he said at his daily press briefing. “There are many opportunities for cooperation, many opportunities to deepen our cooperation between our two countries on several fronts, but the election, of course, ended yesterday and the inauguration is still a couple of months away, so I wouldn't want to get ahead of myself,” he added.

Biden stepped in swiftly to avoid any undemocratic reaction from the followers of President Bolsonaro, who took 38 days to recognize Biden's own victory over Republican magnate Donald Trump.

With Lula and Biden, the two most populous countries in the Americas will have septuagenarian veteran leaders who defeated, albeit narrowly, right-wing populists.

Lula promised to fight deforestation in the Amazon, which plays a crucial role for the planet against carbon dioxide emissions. Norway has announced the resumption of aid against deforestation, and the European Union said it may move forward on the Mercosur trade agreement pending ratification.

During his first two terms as president (2003-2010), Lula kept a good relationship with both the United States and leftist allies such as Cuba and Venezuela. However, he irritated US officials with his aspiration to play an international role, including a diplomatic initiative of his own on Iran's nuclear program.