Lula meets European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in New York

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, met on Monday, September 23, in New York, where the Brazilian leader is scheduled to speak at the opening of the UN General Assembly, September 24.

Lula expressed enthusiasm about the possibility of soon concluding the trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union. The president also voiced concern about the rise of extremism around the world, which is reflected on global economic performance. However, the Brazilian leader highlighted the country's positive growth figures, which exceeded market forecasts. In this context, he mentioned low unemployment, the approval of the fiscal framework, the lifting of 24.5 million people from hunger in Brazil and microcredit policies as some of the key achievements of the Brazilian economy.

ENERGY TRANSITION - The clean energy agenda was also discussed. According to Lula, the opportunities offered by the energy transition must be seized. Ursula von der Leyen underscored the centrality of this issue, for a transition that takes into account the need to combat climate change and protect the environment.

Both commented on the ongoing drought in Brazil. Lula highlighted the extreme drought in the Amazon and the numerous criminal fires over this period. The president recalled that he recently met with leaders of Brazil's other powers and spoke about the need to pass stricter legislation on criminal fires. He also spoke about the floods in Rio Grande do Sul, another catastrophe resulting from climate change.

Ursula von der Leyen pointed out that climate phenomena also affect Europe, with wildfires and floods. Both leaders reaffirmed the need for more effective policies to combat disasters. The European leader also stressed the possibility of greater technical cooperation between the two sides in addressing these phenomena.