Lula da Silva celebrates ‘exceptional moment’ in Brazil-Portugal relations

Brazilian President Lula da Silva this Wednesday underlined the “exceptional moment” of diplomatic relations between Brazil and Portugal, ironically that “in some time” the number of Brazilians in Portugal “will be greater than the population of Portugal.” “.

“Brazil is experiencing an exceptional moment in its relations with Portugal,” the Brazilian head of state said in an interview with the international press in Brussels, answering a question from the Lusa news agency, at the end of his participation in the bilateral conference. day of the EU summit with Latin America and the Caribbean.

Lula da Silva ironically: “If in 1500 Portugal discovered Brazil, then in 2026 Brazil discovered Portugal, that is, because of the number of Brazilians that are in Portugal today, after some time it will be more than the population of Portugal.”

Asked about his conversations with the Portuguese prime minister during the European summit in Brussels on Monday and Tuesday, the Brazilian president indicated that he did not talk “about the war with António Costa.”

By the way, I didn’t have [uma reunião] bilateral with António Costa. I tried to arrange a conversation with António Costa so that we could talk about other things and improve our relationship, but he had to leave earlier, so it was not possible,” he added.

The first summit in eight years between the EU and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), which brought together more than 50 leaders of both regional blocs in Brussels, was marked by different points of view on the war of Ukraine, namely Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua, with the latter country practically blockading a final declaration on which consensus was reached at the last minute.

In that final declaration, the leaders condemned, with the exception of Nicaragua, the war in Ukraine without mentioning Russia, after days of disagreement over the final declaration.

Speaking after the meeting, Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa underlined the “consensus” at the summit to express concern over the war in Ukraine despite Nicaragua’s exclusion.

This was the third EU summit with CELAC eight years after the meeting in 2015 and was dedicated to strengthening the partnership between the two regions to prepare them for the new challenges brought about by the war in Ukraine.

Speaking specifically about the conflict, Lula da Silva told the international press this Wednesday that he “does not have to agree” with what he called the “nervousness” of European countries close to Ukraine.

“Precisely because we are far away, we can be calm that we are not in the same climate as the Europeans,” he added, defending that “a group of countries capable of convincing Russia and Ukraine at the right moment that peace is the best way “.

Also because, in the words of Lula da Silva, “the world is getting tired” of the conflict.

“This meeting [a cimeira UE-CEÇAC] it was very important, and the discussion about Ukraine took place at the right moment and at the right time,” he concluded.