Brazil's Lula ready to sign EU-Mercosur deal, despite France's growing opposition

Brazil's President Lula meets Spain's Prime Minister Sanchez at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia
Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva shakes hands with Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez as they meet at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil, March 6, 2024. REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino
Source: REUTERS

Brazil's Lula ready to sign EU-Mercosur deal, despite France's growing opposition

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who met with Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Brasilia on Wednesday, said he is ready to sign an agreement between South American trade bloc Mercosur and the European Union despite growing opposition from France.

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said that he hopes the agreement will be completed soon.

"Today we are ready to sign a Mercosur deal, but France has some issues with its farmers," Lula said, adding that both blocs need the deal and France's opposition should not prevent it from moving forward.

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France has repeatedly expressed reservations about the EU-Mercosur deal and said its farmers have objected to the prospect that it could allow in imports of agricultural products, notably beef, that do not meet strict EU standards.

This article was produced by Reuters news agency. It has not been edited by Global South World.