The French president told 35 Brazilian businesspeople that it is difficult to advance the European Union’s partnership with the South American bloc without Argentina at the meetings.
French President Emmanuel Macron (Renaissance) told 35 Brazilian businessmen this Thursday (12.Sep.2024) that he supports Brazil’s entry into the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development). The meeting was promoted by the Lide in partnership with industrial entities, and held at the Élysée Palace, the official residence of the President of France. Here is the list of participants (PDF – 99kB).
Second John Doriaco-chairman of Lide and former governor of São Paulo, the French president also declared that he will make two visits to Brazil in 2024, for the G20 event in November, and in 2025, for COP30, in Belém (PA).
“This is the first time that a head of state of this stature has made such a strong defense of Brazil’s entry into the OECD. It should be used positively in the ongoing talks.“, said Doria. The OECD is a kind of “club of rich countries”. It brings together some of the largest economies on the planet and shares public policies with the aim of further expanding exchanges with other countries.
European Union and Mercosur
According to Doria, Macron criticized the absence of Argentine President Javier Milei from discussions on the future of Mercosur. In July, the Argentinean canceled his presence at the bloc’s Summit of Heads of State in Paraguay.
Mercosur and the European Union are negotiating a free trade agreement. France is one of the main obstacles to the progress of the partnership. Representatives of local agribusiness are opposed to the negotiation for fear of losing ground to Brazilian producers, who have more competitive prices on the global market.
“Macron said that the European Union would like to reach an understanding with a view to analyzing the demands of Brazil and Mercosur. But the situation is more complicated with Mercosur divided. Without Argentina, it is empty and prevents a vision of a bloc.“, said Doria about Macron.
According to the former governor of São Paulo, the assessment was shared by most of the Brazilian businesspeople who participated in the meeting. “This is a message for Milei, who is not only harming Brazil, but also Argentina. He doesn’t have to agree with everything, but being absent is the wrong thing to do. It creates a chain of losses.”he said.
#Macron #defends #Brazil #OECD #meeting #business #leaders