SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and French President Emmanuel Macron have announced a joint plan to invest 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) in the Amazon rainforest, including areas in French Guiana. The investment, to be spread over the next four years, aims to protect the rainforest and will involve collaboration between state-run Brazilian banks and France's investment agency, with the possibility of private resources being welcomed.
The meeting between the two leaders is seen as an effort to revive the relationship between Brazil and France, following years of tensions with former President Jair Bolsonaro. The focus is on deepening cooperation to protect the rainforest and enhance trade relations.
Macron's visit to Brazil began in Belem, a city in the Amazon, where he met with Lula and Indigenous leaders on Combu island. The visit was marked by a Greenpeace Brazil protest against oil exploration in the Amazon, an issue that has raised concerns about environmental impact.
Lula emphasized the importance of global efforts to protect rainforests and called on those responsible for deforestation to contribute to conservation efforts. Macron's office clarified that discussions on a potential European trade deal with Mercosur were not on the agenda, citing concerns about environmental and health standards.
During the visit, Macron awarded Indigenous leader Raoni Metuktire with the Legion of Honor medal for his conservation efforts. The leaders aim to collaborate in combating climate change and poverty, with Brazil set to host the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro and UN climate talks in Belem next year.
On the agenda for the visit is the launch of a diesel-powered submarine built in Brazil with French technology at the Itaguai shipyard near Rio de Janeiro. Macron will also meet with Brazilian investors in Sao Paulo before heading to Brasilia for further discussions with Lula.
