In Brazil, Portuguese president advocates EU–Mercosur deal

Portugal’s President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa advocated the signing of the trade deal between the European Union (EU), and Mercosur—one of the main topics discussed by him Wednesday (Jan. 2) at a meeting with President Jair Bolsonaro at the Planalto presidential palace.

The negotiation preceding the conclusion of the agreement, he said, “have been complex, but Portugal has done what it can to speed up the process, which is really important for both parties.”

Presidents Jair Bolsonaro (right) and Marcelo Rebelo de Souza shake hands in Brasília. - Antonio Cruz/ Agência Brasil

When asked about Bolsonaro’s support for the deal, as he has expressed more interest in bilateral talks, the Portuguese leader said that “pragmatism makes one prioritize what’s useful, and see, in addition to bilateral agreements, tools in multilateral deals which, even with no ideological content, no indoctrination, may facilitate exports, commerce, and economic and financial exchange,” he argued.

CPLP

Another issue brought to debate, Rebelo went on to say, was the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries—CPLP in the original acronym—in connection with matters like “mobility between the two countries and the validity of diplomas and professional certification.”

The president of Portugal said Bolsonaro’s visit to his country is expected to be scheduled for late this year of early in 2020. The Brazilian community in his country, he added, encompasses some 100 thousand people—which he said was likely to represent much less than it really is.