Received by Lula in Brasilia, Macron praises the success of his three-day visit around Brazil

Received at the Planalto Palace by President Luiz Inácio da Silva on Thursday, March 28, French President Emmanuel Macron praised the success of his official visit made to Brazil and thanked him for the way he was received in the country, where he landed last Tuesday (26).

"I would like to sincerely thank President Lula for this State visit, for the invitation and for the wonderful way everything was organized. I would like to say that my entire entourage, and I personally, feel immensely honored to be here today at his side, here in this place, in this Praça dos Três Poderes, which was attacked, which was practically destroyed, or at least seriously attacked by the enemies of democracy," affirmed Macron, referring to the attacks of January 8 last year.

’Dialogue between our countries represents a bridge between the Global South and the developed world, in favor of overcoming structural inequalities and a more sustainable planet. Brazil and France are determined to work together to promote, through democratic debate, a shared vision of the world’’

LUIZ INÁCIO LULA DA SILVA
President of the Republic

"I will always be by your side in all the ambitious projects you carry out for the G20, for the COP and everything that awaits us in the coming years. The visit was wonderful and the discussions were excellent," continued the French president.

The visit to Brasilia concludes the French president's agenda in Brazil, which was highlighted by his presence at events in Belém (PA), Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, and was marked in the capital by the signing of various acts and agreements between the two nations. The French president's visit strengthens historical, political, cultural and economic ties and expands joint action between the two countries, especially on issues related to the environment and the fight against climate change.

France was the first European country to recognize Brazilian independence, in 1825, which demonstrates the strong ties between the two nations. In June 2023, President Lula visited France on the occasion of the Summit for a New Global Financing Compact, and Lula and Macron also met in December last year during the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP 28, held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

"Among the traditional powers, none is closer to Brazil than France. Among the emerging powers, you will tell me (President Macron) if any is closer to France than Brazil," stated President Lula in his speech, during a statement by the two presidents to the press.

CONFIRA TAMBÉM
Full text of President's Lula press statement on the occasion of the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron
Acts adopted on the occasion of the French President's visit to Brazil (available in Portuguese)
High resolution images (Flick do Planalto)

"Dialogue between our countries represents a bridge between the Global South and the developed world, in favor of overcoming structural inequalities and a more sustainable planet. Brazil and France are determined to work together to promote, through democratic debate, a shared vision of the world. A vision grounded in the priority of production over unproductive finance, solidarity over selfishness, democracy over totalitarianism, sustainability over predatory exploitation," emphasized the Brazilian president.

France is the 3rd largest investor in Brazil, by the criteria of final controller, with around US$ 38 billion invested. In 2023, the bilateral trade flow reached US$ 8.4 billion, with US$ 2.9 billion in Brazilian exports.

I will always be by your side in all the ambitious projects you carry out for the G20, for the COP and everything that awaits us in the coming years. The visit was wonderful and the discussions were excellent,"
EMMANUEL MACRON
President of Françe

HEAD OF STATE HONORS - Emmanuel Macron was received in Brasilia with the honors of a head of State. After disembarking at the Praça dos Três Poderes, the French resident followed the performance by the Maré do Amanhã Orchestra and the Madrigal de Brasília choir of the song A Chegada dos Candangos, the third movement of Brasília: Sinfonia da Alvorada, by Tom Jobim and Vinícius de Moraes. The song was composed in 1959 to celebrate the inauguration of Brazil's new capital.

Before going up the ramp of the Planalto Palace and being welcomed by President Lula and First Lady Janja Lula da Silva, French President Macron passed the troops in review and then, in the presence of Lula and Janja, listened to the military band perform the national anthems of Brazil and France. On arriving at the Planalto Palace, the French president greeted all the Brazilian ministers and then went on to a bilateral meeting with President Lula and then to the act-signing ceremony.

HOMAGE - President Macron was honored by Lula with the Grand Collar of the National Order of the Southern Cross. The National Order of the Southern Cross, which originated from the extinct Imperial Order of the Cross, was created in 1932 to honor Brazilian and foreign citizens worthy of recognition by the Brazilian nation. The Grand Collar of the Order, intended exclusively for heads of State, is the highest Brazilian honor awarded to foreign citizens.

After being awarded honors, Macron honored the First Lady, Janja, with the insignia of the Legion of Honor, in the rank of Officer. President Lula already has the highest insignia of this order. "Madam Janja Lula da Silva, on behalf of the French Republic, I hereby make you an Officer of the Legion of Honor." The order of the Legion of Honor was instituted on May 20, 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte to reward eminent merits, whether military or civilian, to the French nation.

"Together we were able to savor this shared Amazon in the city of Belém. Yesterday, I was able to discuss with the economic world, but also with the cultural and intellectual world in São Paulo. Yesterday morning, we were able to see the strength of our defense cooperation in Rio de Janeiro, and today, at your side, of the political and strategic discussions," emphasized Emmanuel Macron, as he took stock of his time spent in Brazil. At the end of the event at the Planalto, Macron went to the Itamaraty Palace, where he was honored with a lunch offered by President Lula and Janja.

Fotos: Ricardo Stuckert / PR

BELÉM - Emmanuel Macron's first stop in Brazil on Tuesday was Pará, where the French president presented chief Raoni Metuktire, on Ilha do Combu (one of the 39 islands surrounding the capital Belém), with the award of the National Order of the Legion of Honor. President Lula and various authorities accompanied the tribute, which had great significance for Brazil's indigenous peoples.

Instituted on May 20, 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte, the honor is the highest award offered by the Government of France and is granted to French citizens and foreigners who stand out for their activities on the global stage. During their visit to Belém, Presidents Lula and Macron adopted two important environmental declarations: the Brazil-France Call for Climate Ambition from Paris to Belém and Beyond; and the Action Plan on the Bioeconomy and the Protection of Tropical Forests.

RIO DE JANEIRO - On Tuesday evening, the two presidents embarked for Rio de Janeiro. On Wednesday morning (27/3), Lula and Macron took part in the baptism and the launch into the sea of the submarine "Tonelero" (S42), at the Itaguaí Naval Complex (RJ). The vessel was built entirely in Brazil and integrates the Submarine Development Program (ProSub), the result of the Brazil-France Strategic Partnership, signed in 2008, with a budget of around R$40 billion.

SÃO PAULO - Also on Wednesday (27/3), President Macron continued on to São Paulo, where he participated in the opening of the Pasteur Institute and the Brazil-France Economic Forum, which had not been held since 2019. The aim of the meeting was to strengthen cooperation in order to increase the volume of trade exchange and mutual investment. The Vice President and Minister of Development, Industry, Trade and Services, Geraldo Alckmin, accompanied President Macron at the event.