Lula to attend Celac-European Union Summit
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva had a phone conversation on Wednesday afternoon (Jul. 5) with President Pedro Sánchez of Spain. During the conversation, he accepted the invitation to attend the opening ceremony of the upcoming Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the European Union in Brussels, Belgium, to be held on July 17 and 18. This summit has not taken place since 2015, the Brazilian government said.
According to the Planalto presidential palace, Pedro Sánchez also invited President Lula to the opening of the Summit's Business Forum, where he will be joined by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. At the forum, new European investments in Latin America are to be announced. Spain recently assumed the presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Lula's participation in the CELAC-European Union Summit occurs at a time when the Brazilian government aims to modify certain requirements set by the European bloc to approve the Free Trade Agreement with the Southern Common Market (Mercosur), consisting of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
During the 62nd Summit of Heads of State of Mercosur and Associated States held in Puerto Iguazú, Argentina, on Tuesday (Jul. 4), Lula reaffirmed his commitment to concluding the free trade agreement. However, he expressed his concerns about the additional instrument presented by the European Union in March of this year, deeming it "unacceptable." Lula emphasized the importance of a balanced treaty that allows for the implementation of public policies supporting “productive integration and reindustrialization.”
The EU's proposed additives to the agreement include provisions for fines in the event of non-compliance with environmental obligations.