Brazilian President Lula da Silva stood out yesterday among the political chorus at the European Union-Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) summit, which marked his return to Europe. In a speech to the leaders of both blocs, Lula da Silva rehearsed an almost perfect harmony between Brasilia and Brussels, reminiscent even of the political statements of institutional representatives in the EU. On the other hand, with regard to the war in Ukraine, the position could not have diverged more.
Lula da Silva called for an “immediate cessation of hostilities and a negotiated peace”, criticizing the use of “sanctions and blockades without the protection of international law”, as the result is “the punishment of the most vulnerable populations”. And he reinforced: “In 2022 alone, instead of killing the hunger of millions of people, the world has spent $2.24 billion to feed the war machine, which will only bring death, destruction and even more hunger.”
Devaluing the Brazilian president’s criticism, the prime minister, António Costa, stated that “every citizen of the world thinks it is better that we can spend money on fighting hunger, promoting development, than spending money on defense”.
However, it understands that it is necessary to answer whether “the reinforcement of defense investment is necessary or not? [E] Unfortunately it is. Is it desirable? No. Is it necessary? Yes”.
“It is not worth exaggerating what the differences are, when in common positions we have so much to work on,” defended António Costa, expressing the interest of both in making progress in the energy transition.
“There is no energy transition without significant investment in electric mobility and in the transition and mass production of lithium batteries,” he stressed, recalling that “the world’s largest reserves of lithium are in Argentina and Chile.” Costa gave the example of Brazil “as a huge producer of green hydrogen, and Europe as a great destination for the hydrogen Brazil can produce”.
The leaders of the two blocs met in an attempt at rapprochement, hoping to make political progress in the trade deal between the European Union and Mercosur. The agreement that could boost increased trade volume between the two blocs was finalized in 2019 but has since been blocked pending ratification by national parliaments.
The last EU-CELAC summit took place in 2015. António Costa considered that “after eight years without this meeting, it is good evidence that we on both sides of the Atlantic are well aware of the need to collaborate more”.
Lula da Silva praised the EU’s work for “democracy and respect for freedom”, but also for “active policies for social, digital and educational inclusion”, as “fundamental values for the promotion of democratic values and the defense of the rule of law” . .
One aspect that can be seen as a sign of political harmony in matters as diverse as cybercrime or minority rights is the fact that some statements follow a very common structure in Brussels. For example, when he states that “what is a crime in real life must be a crime in the digital world”.
The Brazilian president has defended the urgency of the fight against climate change, but disagrees with some voices among European leaders, such as French President Emmanuel Macron, who demand more commitment in this area. Lula da Silva stated that Brazil is already an example that is far ahead of the rest of the world.
“We have practically 87% of our renewable energy, we have 50% of the renewable energy matrix, against 15% of the rest of the world,” he stressed, stressing that “Brazil will fulfill its role in the climate problem.”
Source: DN
