Macron's State Visit to Brazil... Focus on Resolving Conflicts Including FTA

French President Emmanuel Macron will make a three-day state visit to Brazil starting on the 26th (local time). This marks the first such visit in 11 years since former French President Fran?ois Hollande in 2013, drawing attention to whether the cooled diplomatic relations between the two countries will be resolved.

According to the French daily Le Monde, President Macron will meet with Brazilian President Luiz In?cio Lula da Silva in Bel?m, Par?, Brazil on the day of his arrival. The state visit is expected to be accompanied by representatives from major French companies such as Carrefour and Airbus, as well as several small and medium-sized enterprises, seeking to explore the South American market. President Macron is also scheduled to attend a forum of business leaders from both countries held in S?o Paulo.

French President Emmanuel Macron (left) on a state visit to Brazil and Brazilian President Luiz In?cio Lula da Silva [Photo by Yonhap News]

Relations between the two countries remained tense from 2019 until the end of 2022. This period coincided with the administration of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who was anti-Western and pro-Russian, during which the two leaders engaged in verbal disputes over responses to the Amazon wildfires. President Macron’s current state visit is interpreted as an effort to breathe new life into the diplomatic relations between the two nations.

Le Monde interpreted this visit as an attempt to demonstrate that trade between the European Union (EU) and South America can flourish even without a Free Trade Agreement (FTA). President Macron has previously opposed the signing of an FTA between the EU and the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR), citing concerns that the influx of cheap foreign agricultural products could harm domestic farmers. On the other hand, President Lula urged a swift conclusion earlier this month, stating, "The FTA between the EU and MERCOSUR is no longer a matter of liking or disliking."

The newspaper also pointed out that there are political calculations behind the summit between the two leaders. For left-leaning President Lula, maintaining close ties with a liberal European leader in the economic sector can reassure centrist and right-wing parties, while President Macron, ahead of the European Parliament elections, can politically benefit by showing openness to left-wing figures.

However, it is difficult to predict what stance the two leaders will share on sensitive international issues such as the war in Ukraine. Brazil, which forms the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) group of emerging economies alongside Russia, has demanded negotiations, arguing that Ukraine also bears significant responsibility for the war. This stands in stark contrast to President Macron, who has recently mentioned the possibility of Western troop deployment to Ukraine and has taken a leading role in supporting Ukraine and criticizing Russia.

Meanwhile, the French Embassy in Brazil stated that through this state visit, the two leaders will discuss global issues such as biodiversity conservation and a decarbonized economy.