Bolsonaro: Germany should learn from Brazil about environment

After landing in Osaka today (Jun 27) for the G20 summit meeting, President Jair Bolsonaro said Germany has a lot to learn from Brazil when it comes to environmental issues. Bolsonaro was responding to a statement made by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who said she wants to talk to him about deforestation in Brazil.

“We can show Germany our example, also when it comes to the environment. Their industry is still fossil, mostly coal, whereas ours isn’t. They have a lot to learn from us,” he said in response to a question posed by journalists about Merkel’s statement.

Bolsonaro went on to say Brazil is not a member of G20 to be warned by other countries. “The president of Brazil who is here is not like some previous presidents who came to be warned by other countries. The situation here must be one of respect towards Brazil. We will not accept treatment as in the past, in some cases with heads of state that were here,” he added.

When asked whether Angela Merkel’s words were a warning directed at Brazil, the president answered he saw what was written by the press, and noted that information “must be filtered, so we don’t get contaminated by part of the media, especially the written press.”

From tomorrow (28) to Saturday, Bolsonaro is to take part in the G20 assembly, an informal meeting of Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa), and a number of bilateral meetings and hearings.

Bolsonaro is expected to meet with Presidents Donald Trump (US), Emmanuel Macron (France), Xi Jinping (China), and Prime Ministers Narendra Modi (India), and Lee Hsien-Loong, (Cingapore).

Hearings have been slated with World Bank President David Malpass and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Secretary-General José Angel Gurría Treviño.