The European Union Monday welcomed Brazil’s re-emergence as a major actor on the global stage and announced that the 27-member bloc will invest strongly in Latin America and the Caribbean.
“I welcome Brazil’s re-emergence as a major actor on the global stage. It is timely, and it is already giving positive momentum to the strategic partnership between our two regions,” President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen told a joint press conference with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva ahead of the EU and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) summit.
“This is the first Summit between the European Union and our Latin American and Caribbean partners in eight years,” she said, and noted that the EU wants to work hard hand in hand with Brazil to address the biggest challenges of today.
“In the meantime, I am glad to announce that the European Union will invest strongly in Latin America and the Caribbean” she said and added that the EU will invest in a way that benefits local communities and creates good jobs.
On his part, the Brazilian President told the press conference “our country spent six years away from any kind of international political activities, neglecting the importance of good diplomatic relations, foreign trade, and foreign investment.” “We are back into government in order to put Brazil once again as a protagonist in the international arena. Economic activity is very intense right now in Brazil and we want to share that intense economic activity with our partners in the EU,” he stressed.
Lula da Silva said Brazil “has a strong focus on producing renewable energy. Roughly, 87 percent of our electricity production is from renewable sources.” “Fifty percent of Brazil’s energy production is from renewable as compared to 15 percent from the rest of the world. Energy and climate transition is a priority for our government,” he added.
Meanwhile, the third EU-CELAC Summit, which includes leaders of 60 countries, kicks off later today to establish a renewed political partnership between the two regions.
Source: Kuwait News Agency