Despite some alignment on climate issues, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's state visit to Paris on Thursday was marked by tensions over trade, Ukraine, and Gaza. Lula urged French President Emmanuel Macron to support the Mercosur-EU trade agreement, emphasizing it as a response to rising protectionism. French farmers called on Macron on Wednesday to reiterate their “firm” rejection.
Add your comment!Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will visit France from June 4 to 9. In his meeting with his local colleague Emmanuel Macron, he plans to sign 20 bilateral agreements, covering areas such as vaccines, public security, education, and science and technology. A significant focus will be the announcement of a new climate declaration and plans to create a decarbonized maritime corridor. The trip also comes amid discussions on global governance reforms, multilateralism, and preparations for COP30, which Brazil will host in Belem.
Add your comment!French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Ministers Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom and Mike Carney of Canada said in a joint statement Monday that Israel's military actions in Gaza were “egregious,” warning Tel Aviv of possible consequences in the form of concrete steps. The three NATO powers wanted the offensive to be halted and humanitarian aid restrictions to be eased.
Germany's newly appointed Chancellor Friedrich Merz traveled on his first day in office to Paris and Warsaw to further push for European unity. With French President Emmanuel Macron he discussed bilateral ties, European security, US trade tariffs, and the Ukraine conflict. He also supported the EU-Mercosur trade agreement, despite France's reservations due to environmental concerns.
Presidents Emmanuel Macron of France and Argentina's Javier Milei held a telephone conversation Tuesday, during which the European leader conveyed his strong support to the Libertarian administration's negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The Argentine people can always count on France, Macron stressed. His country has a 4.03% voting power on the IMF executive board, ranking fifth globally. Milei and Economy Minister Luis Toto Caputo thanked Macron on social media for his message while the IMF was discussing Argentina's case at it Washington DC headquarters.
US President Donald Trump's announcement that he planned to impose tariffs on European products to even up the trade scale would be illegal and economically counterproductive, the European Commission (EC) warned in a statement. It would also affect international trade and production chains, it went on.
Presidents Emmanuel Macron of France and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil were reported Friday to have spoken on the telephone with Veenezuela's Nicolás Maduro to persuade him to resume talks with the opposition after being inaugurated for a third consecutive six-year term following the controversial July 28, 2024, elections.
A politically shaken France has been downgraded by Moody's Investors Service from “Aa2” to “Aa3” and the country's long-term outlook went from “stable” to “negative” amid the ongoing “fragmentation” following the appointment of Prime Minister François Bayrou.
Momentum is building up in Montevideo as the presence of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen seems to herald the imminent signing of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) as Brussels needs to halt China's commercial expansion in the region while Donald Trump's return to the White House looms over.
French President Emmanuel Macron told his Argentine counterpart Javier Milei once again during their meeting Sunday at Casa Rosada that his country would not sign the European Union (EU)-Southern Common Market (Mercosur) Free Trade Agreement (FTA) “as is.”