SAO PAULO (AP) – The presidents of Brazil and France introduced a plan Tuesday to take a position 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) within the Amazon, together with components of the rainforest in neighboring French Guiana.
The governments of the 2 international locations mentioned in a joint assertion that the cash can be unfold over the following 4 years to guard the rainforest. It is going to be a collaboration of Brazilian state banks and the funding company of France. Personal sources may even be welcomed, Brazil and France mentioned.
French President Emmanuel Macron and his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva are assembly this week to revive the connection between the international locations after years of friction with former president Jair Bolsonaro, deepen cooperation to guard the rainforest and increase commerce.
Macron started his three-day go to to Brazil within the Amazon metropolis of Belem, the place he met his longtime ally Lula. The French president then took a ship to the island of Combu to satisfy with the indigenous leaders.
Macron and Lula watched a Greenpeace Brazil protest with banners studying “No oil within the Amazon.” The Brazilian authorities has thought-about permitting the exploitation of oil in a area close to the state of Para, the place Belem is situated.
Lula mentioned throughout a speech that Macron's go to is a part of a worldwide effort to strengthen rainforest safety.
“We need to persuade those that have already deforested that they should contribute in an vital option to the international locations that also have their forests to maintain them standing,” Lula mentioned in a speech subsequent to the French president.
Macron's workplace mentioned earlier than the journey {that a} potential European commerce cope with South American bloc Mercosur wouldn’t be on the agenda. The French president is against such an settlement, so long as South American producers don’t respect the identical environmental and well being requirements as Europeans, after farmers raised issues throughout protests in France and Europe.
The French president has embellished indigenous chief Raoni Metuktire with the celebrated Legion of Honor medal for efforts to preserve the rainforest.
“You might have been in Europe and I promised to return right here to your forest and be along with your folks on this forest that’s longed for,” Macron mentioned to the indigenous chief, in accordance with French radio RFI. “President Lula and I’ve a standard trigger for certainly one of our mates on this land that belongs to you.”
Lula and Macron will search to “set a standard course” to battle each local weather change and poverty, Macron's workplace mentioned, as Brazil hosts the summit of the Group of 20 main economies in Rio de Janeiro in November and the UN local weather talks in Belem. subsequent yr
On Wednesday, Macron and Lula will launch a Brazilian-built diesel submarine with French know-how on the Itaguai shipyard exterior Rio de Janeiro. The French president will then go to the metropolis of Sao Paulo to satisfy with Brazilian traders. On Thursday, the French president will go to Brasilia to satisfy Lula once more.
____ Corbet mentioned from Paris.
