Macron and Lula pledge deeper Brazil-France cooperation

Presidents Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil and Emmanuel Macron of France attended on Wednesday the baptism and launch into the sea of the Scorpène-class Tonelero, the third diesel-powered submarine manufactured as part of a joint program under which France has helped Brazil build a fleet.

The Brazil-France Strategic partnership was signed in 2008, with a current revised budget of around BRL 40 billion (USD 8 billion). Wednesday’s ceremony was held at the Itaguaí Naval Complex in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

Mr. Macron, who arrived on Tuesday in the Amazonian city of Belém, is on a three-day visit to Brazil. His trip denotes a significant change in the relationship between the countries after the departure from power of former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, who openly mocked Mr. Macron’s wife on social media after being criticized for failing to thwart fires and deforestation in the Amazon.

In a speech, Mr. Macron said France and Brazil desire to start “a new page” together,  made possible by the “diplomatic intimacy” between the countries.

The two presidents defended deepening bilateral military cooperation. “Great peaceful powers such as Brazil and France must acknowledge that, in an increasingly disorganized world, sometimes we must be able to speak with firmness,” Mr. Macron said. “We are the powers that don’t want to be lackeys for other countries.”

The Global Firepower Index, which measures the world’s most powerful militaries according to “over 50 individual factors assessing each nation’s potential war-making capability,” ranks France and Brazil 11th and 12th, respectively. Brazil’s Navy, however, ranks better than France’s — 23rd and 26th position.

According to the ranking, Brazil’s maritime force currently has 134 ships, including 23 patrol ships, six frigates, five naval mines, four submarines, two corvettes and a helicopter carrier.

Lula asked Mr. Macron to “tell the French” that “Brazil wants the knowledge of nuclear technology not to wage war.” Brazilian diplomacy has tried to increase French cooperation in the development of a different submarine with nuclear propulsion.

Despite their public friendship, Mr. Macron and Lula disagree severely on key topics, such as the Russia-Ukraine war and the proposals for a European Union-Mercosur trade agreement.On Tuesday, the two countries announced a plan to raise USD 1.1 billion in investments in the Amazon. The two countries said in a joint statement that the money will be spread over the next four years to protect the rainforest.