Speaking at the opening of the plenary session of the 67th Mercosur Summit of Heads of State in this southern city, Lula affirmed that the union is an example of how to take care of both the economy and the population.

“At this time of great global turbulence, Mercosur sets an example of how we can continue to practice multilateralism, safeguarding the growth of our economies and improving the lives of the people we represent,” he stated.

The meeting marks the end of Brazil’s rotating presidency of the mechanism, which will pass to Paraguay. “I hope we have six months of a good harvest, good fruits, and good international agreements. I can assure you that the world is eager to reach agreements with Mercosur,” he affirmed.

And without a doubt, he emphasized, “we will be able to achieve, during this period, the agreements that were not achieved during my presidency.”

The agreement has been under discussion for 26 years and seeks to create a broad free trade zone between the countries of both blocs.

The negotiations concluded in December 2024, but the formalization of the treaty is facing resistance from some European nations, and specially farmers that occupied the streets of Brussels to protest the agreement.

jdt/arm/rc/ocs