French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Brazil from 26-28 March, his office said on Tuesday, POLITICO reports.
Macron accepted the invitation from President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva last October, after a tense relationship in which Lula disagreed with his hard line on trade and even complained about the food he was served at a banquet in Paris organised by the French president.
The visit comes at a time when the European Union is trying to finalise a trade agreement with the South American Mercosur bloc of countries. France is the EU country most strongly opposed to the agreement, making significant progress on Macron’s trip unlikely, although he is expected to visit Brazil with a large business delegation.
As farmer protests have swept across Europe, Macron has tried to block negotiations on a trade deal with Mercosur, which includes Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, to the point of directly intervening with European Commission Ursula von der Leyen in January and demanding that she freeze the talks.
European farmers strongly oppose the trade agreement, which they fear will flood the continent with cheaper food, especially beef. Lula said last week he was ready to sign the agreement but emphasised that France was the main obstacle.
Before travelling to Brazil, Macron will also visit French Guiana, an overseas territory of France that serves as a launch pad for European Space Agency rockets.
