Mercosur-EU agreement on Lula's agenda in Spain
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is the guest of honor at the Portuguese Parliament's Assembly of the Republic today (Apr. 25), marking the final day of his visit to Portugal.
Several agreements were signed, including those focused on the validation of elementary and high school diplomas, as well as efforts to combat racism against Brazilian residents living in Portugal.
At the 13th Brazil-Portugal Summit, a meeting that had not taken place for six years, Lula announced the establishment of an office of the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil) in Lisbon, to strengthen bilateral cooperation and foster new business opportunities between the two countries.
On Monday (24), President Lula and the President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, presented the Camões Award, the main award for literature in the Portuguese language, to Brazilian musician, playwright, and writer Chico Buarque. In 2019, Chico was the winner of the 31st edition of the Luiz Vaz de Camões Prize for Literature, but the act of delivery was not signed by then-President Jair Bolsonaro.
Spain
Following his visit to Portugal, the Brazilian president will head to Spain today (25), on his first trip to Europe after assuming his third mandate, which will be marked by the diplomatic rapprochement between the countries and the signing of agreements in several areas.
In Madrid, Lula will meet with Brazilian and Spanish businessmen. Tomorrow (26), a meeting is scheduled with President Pedro Sánchez, at the Moncloa Palace, the seat of the Spanish government. Before returning to Brazil, Lula will have lunch with King Felipe VI, at the Royal Palace.
"President Lula's trip is also strategic for a pending issue, the trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union, which interests both countries. Coincidentally, in the next six-month mandate of both blocks, which begins on July 1 this year, Brazil will assume the temporary presidency of Mercosur and Spain will hold the equivalent position in the EU," says a note published by Brazil’s government.
