British PM receives Lula da Silva and promises contribution to Amazon Fund

The President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, was received today in London by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who announced that the UK would contribute to the Amazon Fund.

“We have many interests in common, be it strengthening the trade and economic relationship, but also fighting climate change,” said Sunak, announcing that he intends to “invest in the Amazon Fund out of respect for its leadership.”

The government advanced that the value of the contribution would be £80 million (US$101 million).

In the initial exchange of words upon arrival at the official residence of the British Prime Minister, the Brazilian President said that, in addition to having traveled to attend the coronation of King Charles III, he also wanted to “reestablish normalcy in relations between Brazil and the United Kingdom.”

“This meeting of ours is the resumption of Brazil’s relationship with the world. Brazil was isolated for almost six years, and we want to resume a commercial discussion because I think there is an enormous possibility of growth,” Lula da Silva told Lusa.

On the other hand, he reiterated the commitment to stop illegal deforestation in the Amazon by 2030 but urged compliance with climate agreements by the international community.

“The poorest countries need help to keep the forest standing,” he said.

The Amazon Fund was created by Lula da Silva in 2009 to help combat deforestation and increase enforcement and was mainly funded by Norway and Germany.

However, the two countries froze their contributions due to the advance of deforestation in the Amazon during Jair Bolsonaro’s government and have already expressed their will to resume the process with Lula da Silva in power.

The bilateral meeting took place as part of the Brazilian head of state’s visit for the coronation ceremony of King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla on Saturday.

This was the first one-on-one meeting between Sunak and Lula da Silva, who spoke by telephone in December before the inauguration of the current Brazilian President.

On the other hand, the British monarch has been interested in Brazil for longer, a country he visited as Prince of Wales four times, in 1978, 1991, 2002, and 2009, always with trips to the Amazon due to its commitment to environmental issues.

Brazil is one of the countries identified as a priority for British foreign policy and a major international partner.

The United Kingdom supports Brazil’s candidacy for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, along with India, Japan, and Germany.

British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly is scheduled to visit Brazil on May 23 and 24 for the 6th edition of the High-Level Strategic Dialogue, a mechanism for political consultations between the heads of diplomacy of the two countries.

This will be the first visit of a British foreign minister to Brazil since William Hague in 2014.

The previous edition of the Strategic Dialogue took place in 2017 when former Minister Aloisio Nunes was in London.

In 2022, trade between the two countries reached US$6.5 billion, 15% more than in 2021, with a positive balance of about US$884 million for Brazil.

With information from Lusa

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