This Wednesday, March 27, during the second of the three-day visit to Brazil, the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, assured that his Government will help Brazil develop nuclear technology for submarines. This is a crucial and sensitive endorsement between the two nations. In the first official trip by a French leader to the South American giant in 11 years, Macron and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva also launched an investment plan for a sustainable economy in the Amazon.
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“I want us to open the chapter for the new submarines (…) That let us look ahead to nuclear propulsion and at the same time fully respect all non-proliferation commitments“. With these words, French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed his country's support for Brazil, during the launch of the third submarine of the cooperation agreement between the two countries.
This is the Tonelero (S-42), a submersible 72 meters long and capable of reaching a speed of up to 37 kilometers per hour, built at the Itaguaí Naval Complex, on the coast of Rio de Janeiro.
During the ceremony, in Itaguai, near Rio de Janeiro, Macron stressed that The submarine will help protect the country's long coastline, called the “Blue Amazon”.
For his part, his counterpart Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva pointed out that Brazil wants to build a nuclear-powered submarine and develop its defense industry despite being “on the side of countries that want peace.”
The South American giant plans to build its first nuclear-powered submarine, the Álvaro Albertowhich would make it the first country outside the five permanent members of the UN Security Council to do so.
“If you want it, France will be at your side,” said the Elysée leader, who stressed respect for non-proliferation commitments.
The construction of the submarines is included in a 2008 agreement between Lula and then-French President Nicolas Sarkozy, which also included the purchase of 50 Caracal helicopters.
French maritime defense manufacturer Naval Group is supporting the design and construction of the submersible, except for the nuclear boiler which is being designed by the Brazilians.
A “strategic, sensitive and delicate issue”
Brasilia has been trying to convince Paris to increase technology transfers to help it integrate the reactor into the submarine and sell it equipment linked to nuclear propulsion.
However, France has so far been reluctant to transfer such technology, due to the challenges of nuclear proliferation.
“There are discussions about the possibility of France cooperating with us, even in matters of nuclear energy, nuclear fuel,” said the European head of Brazilian diplomacy, María Luisa Escorel de Moraes, who recognized that it is a “strategic issue.” “sensitive and delicate.”
However, the project has suffered significant delays, mainly due to budget constraints, and the nuclear submarine is now expected to be launched between 2036 and 2037, according to the Brazilian Navy.
The statements occurred this Wednesday, March 27, on the second of Macron's three-day scheduled official visit to Brazil, an important economic ally.
A day earlier, Lula and Macron announced a plan to raise more than $1 billion in sustainable economy investments to protect the Brazilian and French-Guyanese Amazon.
The official trip, the first by a French president to Brazilian territory in 11 years, is also considered a measure to restore ties that had deteriorated significantly during the previous government of former President Jair Bolsonaro.
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