Stalled for years due to regulatory differences and internal pressures in both blocs, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has already made it clear that he will not leave office without closing the pact, considered key for foreign policy and regional development. During his recent visit to France, Lula appealed directly to his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, to unblock the process: “Open your heart to the possibility of making this agreement with our beloved Mercosur”, he asked him in public.

However, Macron again voiced his objections, centered on the protection of French agriculture and the need for mechanisms to equalize environmental and sanitary requirements between the blocs.

“I cannot require my farmers to comply with strict rules while opening the market to those who do not follow them. This way we kill our agriculture and do not benefit the climate,” the French president, calling for “mirror clauses” that harmonize the rules, warned.

Lula will participate on Thursday in Buenos Aires in the 66th Summit of Mercosur heads of State.

The meeting will mark the end of the Argentine presidency and the beginning of the Brazilian mandate, in a context in which the bloc is seeking to reposition itself as a vital player on the international scene.

Ambassador Gisela Padovan, and Secretary for Latin America and the Caribbean at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, asserted that Mercosur is a strategic priority for Brazil.

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