In the end, more questions were asked than answers were given. At the entrance of the press conference after the XIII Luso-Brazilian summit (which had not taken place in seven years), everything indicated that Lula da Silva, the Brazilian president, and António Costa, the Portuguese prime minister, would respond to questions from journalists, but it didn’t happen. The gesture surprised even both news agencies. However, this did not stop the two rulers from praising each other after the signing of 13 cooperation treaties (including understanding mechanisms, protocols and agreements) between Portugal and Brazil.
From defense to education, via health or culture, both Costa and Lula see the treaties signed by the ministers as a “turnaround” in relation to the recent past. This “new desire for cooperation will be signaled with the Economic Forum in Matosinhos [que acontece segunda-feira]where it will also be possible to fly in the first Embraer KC390 aircraft delivered to the Portuguese Air Force,” said the Prime Minister, António Costa, in reference to the way the delegations from the north of the country to Alverca, where they will visit the workshops of Embraer, a Brazilian aerospace company. the head of government also emphasized the agreements with Brazil in the field of geology and energy, on which Portuguese companies – such as Galp and EDP – are betting. For example, in the case of geology, António Costa revealed that EDP has already invested “5.7 billion in energy projects” in the country.
And Lula? First, he praised “the affection with which the delegation was received and the affection with which the ministers of both countries treat each other”. He then left criticism of the Bolsonaro government – without ever mentioning the former president’s name – saying that this meeting and the interaction between the two sides allow “imagining the irresponsibility of those who have managed the country in recent years, when Brazil became an isolated country”. The way he was received, he said, made him feel “at home” and his only regret was that he “hadn’t eaten cod yet.” However, he admitted: “I’m leaving here happy, cheerful.”
“We came back to restore the country and all the social construction policies. Brazil is back”, shot as closure. After the summit, the delegations went to the Palácio Nacional da Ajuda, where they dined in private.
AR presence is “smart and happy”
Before the summit, Lula da Silva was received in the morning by his Portuguese counterpart, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. After the state awards and the waving to supporters heard from a distance on Praça do Império, in Lisbon, the presidents of Brazil and Portugal were gathered in the Palace of Belém, when Lula da Silva took the opportunity to greet Marcelo to be decorated with the Order of the Southern Cross, a Brazilian decoration awarded to foreign personalities.
Finally – with the right to ask questions – Lula and Marcelo shed light on the impact of the state visit, which began on a symbolic date: April 22. It was exactly 523 years ago that Pedro Álvares Cabral arrived in Brazil. In fact, the historical fact was used by Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa to build a bridge to Lula da Silva’s presence in parliament on April 25.
The date, the president of the Republic recalled, represents “the end of the Portuguese Empire”. This is the end of which, according to Marcelo, Brazil was a forerunner when it became independent in 1822. the parliament), was “smart and happy”, despite all the controversy associated with this particular point of the visit. Chega is already known to have an organized protest and IL said it will only have the parliamentary leader, Rodrigo Saraiva, in the hemicycle.
After speaking in the General Assembly, Lula da Silva will go straight to Madrid, where he will have lunch with King Felipe VI. But this Saturday Brazil’s president refused to let the gesture serve to further fuel the controversy, saying speaking in parliament (he will do so before the April 25 formal session, at a specific time) is something of “great joy”. “The agenda was not made in the week, it has some advances. I did not come to Portugal with a problem in the agenda,” the Brazilian president assured.
War in Ukraine was also a topic
In this joint statement to the press, both presidents were asked about Lula’s recent statements about the war in Ukraine, which were seen as closer to Russia, partly blaming the invaded country (Ukraine), the European Union and the United States. through the conflict.
Last Saturday in Belém, Lula da Silva reaffirmed that he wants Brazil to be part of the solution. “Russia made a mistake. We all think Russia made a mistake. It shouldn’t have invaded, but it did. Brazil does not want to take sides. Want to land a group to chat”, he said, to reinforce that”It is better to find a way out at the negotiating table than a way out on the battlefield.and that whoever provides arms or support to either side is naturally an active part of the conflict.
Taking advantage of Lula da Silva’s answer, the Portuguese president also clarified that during the meeting he made it a point to emphasize the national position, which differs from the Brazilian one, despite the two countries’ “consistently equal” votes in the UN Security Council. According to Marcelo, Portugal is in favor of “condemning the violation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and solidarity with the Ukrainian people”.
However, Lula’s statements again stirred national politics, with IL criticizing and classifying as “shameful” that the Brazilian president had come to Portugal “to attack the European Union”. At the tweetthe leader of the IL, Rui Rocha, also said that “after a succession of embarrassing statements by Lula, based on the unacceptable equivalence between the intruder and the attacked, we now have the equivalence between those who attack and those who support those who defend themselves”. Paulo Raimundo, general secretary of the PCP, said he did not understand the excitement and amazement over Lula da Silva’s position. “I cannot understand the amazement at President Lula’s statements when deep down what it raises is a question essential to everyone, the need to talk more about peace and less about warsaid Paulo Raimundo on the sidelines of a meeting with fishermen in Peniche.
Lula da Silva came to Portuguese soil to attack the European Union, declaring that “if it doesn’t make peace, it contributes to war”. After a succession of embarrassing statements by Lula, based on the unacceptable equivalence between intruder and victim, we now have the equivalence between…
– Rui Rocha (@ruirochaliberal) April 22, 2023
But the discussion on the subject was not limited to the presidential meeting. The joint statement that emerged from the Luso-Brazilian summit states that both sides “emphasized their commitment to international law, the United Nations Charter and the peaceful resolution of conflicts” and who lamented “the Russian invasion” of Ukraine, also lamenting “The loss of life and destruction of civilian infrastructure, as well as the immense human suffering and increasing fragility of the global economy caused by war”.
Source: DN
