The Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva welcomed French president Emmanuel Macron in Belém do Pará, near the Amazon river’s mouth. It marked the opening of a three‑day visit aimed at strengthening political and commercial ties between Brazil and France. This trip also represents Macron’s first venture into Latin America with a prior stop in French Guiana.
The two leaders boarded a Navy vessel to cruise the Guajará bay and reach Combú island. During the hour-long voyage, they held their initial work meeting. Then came the symbolic gestures. The host, echoing remarks from Maria Luisa Escorel, the Brazilian diplomat responsible for Europe and North America, sought to show Macron the Amazon’s complexity — not just a vast rainforest, but a region home to about 25 million people. The French guest planned to meet Kayapó community representatives and honor their chief, Raoni Metuktire, a longtime advocate for an ecosystem threatened by agricultural expansion. Metuktire had previously been welcomed by President François Hollande at the Élysée Palace twelve years earlier, where he urged the preservation of the Amazon and its peoples.
One area of agreement between Lula and Macron is the push for sustainable development. Brazil’s Workers’ Party government aims to accelerate ecological transition without compromising the goal of lifting millions from poverty. In the near future, Brazil, which currently chairs the G20, is set to host COP30 in Belém.
Societal and commercial dimensions
Franco-Brazilian diplomacy attaches particular importance to this visit. France ranks as the third-largest investor in Brazil, after the United States and Spain. Macron seeks to accelerate trade, which in 2023 totaled around 8.4 billion dollars with a slight Brazilian advantage in France’s favor. Some 860 French companies operate in Brazil, and Macron is accompanied by a robust business delegation including representatives from Carrefour, Airbus, and Naval Group.
In 2006, Lula and Jacques Chirac launched a bilateral strategic partnership that did not fully endure due to political upheavals, including Dilma Rousseff’s removal in 2016 and Jair Bolsonaro’s rise. Bolsonaro’s administration carried some friction with Macron in 2019 as Paris joined other voices condemning Amazon fires. Lula’s return to power included an early 2023 visit to Paris, signaling Brazil’s desire to move past past tensions.
A notable point of convergence lies in the defense sector. On this trip, Macron and Lula were to tour Itaguaí, outside Rio de Janeiro, for the launch of the third diesel submarine of the Scorpene class built in Brazil with French technology. The original 2008 agreement anticipated four subs, with a plan for a fifth; the Naval Group project remains a cornerstone of the bilateral defense relationship.
Expanded discussions on a global agenda
Macron is also slated to meet tomorrow in São Paulo, Brazil’s economic engine, with cultural figures and business leaders. Lula will reconnect with Macron in Brasília on Thursday. Beyond bilateral topics, conversations are expected to touch on international flashpoints such as the Middle East, Ukraine, and Venezuela. Brazil has recently condemned the Venezuelan electoral council’s decision to exclude the main opposition candidate from the July elections. The democratic transition in Venezuela has been a subject of prior exchanges between Lula and Macron.
The EU–Mercosur trade agreement, which France currently opposes due to farming interests, is not yet on the working agenda for the two presidents. Lula has indicated patience if no agreement emerges soon. A sticking point has been the EU’s demands regarding phytosanitary and environmental controls for Brazilian agricultural exports to gain access to European markets. Brazil has voiced disagreement with that stance and rejects the EU’s 2023 law prohibiting imports of certain products tied to deforestation.