RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Portuguese president, Marcelo Rebelo de Souza, was received Monday, August 1, by his Brazilian counterpart, Jair Bolsonaro. He pledged to continue working for speedy ratification of the trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and Mercosur.
“We are hopeful that little by little the few remaining obstacles” to the ratification of the agreement, announced in 2019, are being demolished, Rebelo explained at a press conference after he met with Bolsonaro, held without the presence of journalists at his official residence in Brasilia.
According to the Portuguese president, all the economic “obstacles” have been fully overcome, but “a few” environmental ones remain, which both Mercosur and the EU are determined to leave behind as well, in favor of an agreement that “favors everyone”.
These doubts are based on the aggressive policies promoted by Bolsonaro’s government, especially in the Amazon region, which have aroused resentment in some countries.
However, Rebelo said he was confident that, during the current Slovenian presidency of the EU, progress would be made in the drafting of an annex document focused on environmental issues, following a proposal presented by Portugal in the middle of last year.
“That approximation on the environmental issue will be important for the agreement,” and now “it is up to the European Commission to present the first outline” of the complementary document, to which the countries of both blocs have already committed, he explained.
The Portuguese president said that he and Bolsonaro also discussed various items on the bilateral agenda. He highlighted the preparations for the Bicentennial of Brazil’s Independence commemoration from Portugal, to be held in 2022.
In this context, he valued the commitment of both governments to the promotion of the Portuguese language, an effort that has Brazil “as the great protagonist, due to its size and the youth of its people,” he said.
Rebelo celebrated the reopening, last Saturday, July 31, of the Museum of the Portuguese Language in the city of Sao Paulo after almost six years of closure due to a fire that consumed part of its facilities in December 2015.
“For Portugal, Brazil and all the official Portuguese-speaking states, this museum is a fundamental framework,” said Rebelo, who declined to comment on Bolsonaro’s absence at the event, which, in addition to the Portuguese leader, was attended by the president of Cape Verde, Jorge Carlos Fonseca, and representatives of other Portuguese-speaking countries.
Rebelo also excused himself from answering questions about the fact that, in his Monday meeting with Bolsonaro, the Brazilian president and all his ministers did not wear the mandatory anti-covid-19 masks, which the entire Portuguese delegation did.
“We don’t have to make judgments about our hosts. He received us at the Alvorada Palace (official residence) and, therefore, at home,” he said.
During his visit to Brazil, which concluded on Monday, Rebelo also met with former Brazilian presidents Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, and Michel Temer, in all cases privately.
For the full picture, see our Mercosur EU Trade Deal: Complete Guide.