By Andreia Verdelio
On his visit to India at the invitation of the country’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva met Thursday (Feb. 19) with French President Emmanuel Macron and other leaders. They met on the sidelines of the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, which addressed security, governance, and global collaboration in artificial intelligence.
According to a statement from the Planalto presidential palace, the two leaders discussed bilateral agenda items, particularly cooperation in defense, science and technology, and trade. In the opinion of both presidents, trade between the two nations, which stands at a record US$10.3 billion, still falls short of the potential of their two economies.
The two leaders also discussed cross-border integration and joint efforts to combat drug trafficking, illegal mining, and other forms of transnational crime on the border between the state of Amapá, in North Brazil, and French Guiana.
Lula and Macron also addressed global issues such as peace, security, and AI. In this connection, the French president invited Lula to attend the G7 Summit in Evian, France, scheduled for June 15 and 16.
Mercosur
The Brazilian president also met with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković. Together, they discussed the implementation of the free trade deal between Mercosur and the European Union.
Unlike Macron, who is openly against the agreement, Lula and Plenković said they hope it will come into force as soon as possible.
“Both agreed on the strategic importance of the agreement at this time of resurgent unilateralism and trade protectionism,” a statement from the president’s office reads.
After more than 20 years of negotiations, the agreement was signed by representatives of both sides in January this year in Asunción, Paraguay. The agreement establishes the world’s largest free trade area, with the gradual elimination of import tariffs on more than 90 percent of bilateral trade, and includes industrial goods such as machinery, tools, automobiles, and other products and equipment, as well as agricultural goods.
Celebrated by industrial sectors, the accord has been met with criticism and protests from European farmers, including those in France, who fear competition from South American products, since, among other measures, it will eliminate customs tariffs.
Despite the formal signing between the two blocs, the agreement must be ratified by the national congresses of each Mercosur country, as well as by the European Parliament. In the case of the Europeans, however, submitting the agreement for review to the European Court of Justice could delay this final stage by up to two years.
Engagements
In New Delhi, President Lula also spoke with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake about the economic situations in both countries. They agreed on the need to increase trade and committed to developing a comprehensive cooperation agenda, including the tourism, agriculture, and trade sectors.
In 2025, bilateral trade between Brazil and Sri Lanka reached USD 188 million, below the record high of USD 210 million from 2016.
President Lula invited the Sri Lankan president to visit Brazil on a date yet to be determined.
Invitation
Lula arrived in the Indian capital on Wednesday (18) at the invitation of the country’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and has a series of commitments on his agenda. In addition to the summit on artificial intelligence, the president should participate in a business forum and be received by Modi for a state visit, with the signing of several agreements expected.
President Lula will remain in New Delhi until Saturday (21) and then travel to Seoul, South Korea. From February 22 to 24, the president will meet with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and executives from major companies in the Asian country.