President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said today (24th) that, although international cooperation is welcome, it is the role of countries in the region to lead projects for the preservation of the Amazon. Lula participated in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in the seventh summit meeting of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).
“The cooperation that comes from outside our region is very welcome, but it is the countries that are part of these biomes that must lead, in a sovereign way, the initiatives to take care of the Amazon. Therefore, it is critical that we value our Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization – ACTO”, said Lula.
The Celac meeting was private and the speeches were not broadcast live, but Lula’s speech was released by the Presidency.
Lula mentioned that, soon, he should convene a summit of the Amazonian countries and that Brazil has already formalized Bethlehem’s candidacy to host the United Nations Conference of the Parties on Climate Change (COP30), in 2025. “The support we are receiving from the CELAC countries is essential so that we can show the rest of the world the wealth of our biodiversity, the and the green economy, in addition, of course, to the importance of preserving the environment and combating climate change,” he said.
For Lula, there is a “clear contribution” to be made by the region for the construction of a peaceful world order, based on dialogue, on the reinforcement of multilateralism and on the collective construction of multipolarity. According to the president, global challenges and “multiple crises” require collective responses, citing, among others, pandemics, threats to democracy and pressures on food and energy security.
“All this in an unacceptable scenario of increasing inequalities, poverty and hunger”, he said. “Most of these challenges, as we know, are global in nature, and require collective responses. We do not want to import particular rivalries and problems into the region. On the contrary, we want to be part of the solutions to the challenges that belong to everyone”, he highlighted.
According to the president, the shared experiences of the region and its colonial past should serve for a rapprochement, and the various crises demonstrate the value of integration. For the president, dialogue with extra regional members is still essential.
“This does not mean that we should close ourselves off from the world. He just points out that this integration will be done on better terms if we are well integrated in our region. We have to join forces in favor of better physical and digital infrastructure, the creation of value chains between our industries and more investments in research and innovation in our region”, said the president, also citing that the development strategy must guarantee fundamental rights and fight hunger, poverty and gender inequalities.
“It is necessary to work so that the color of the skin stops defining the future of our young people”, he argued.
The President of the Republic, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, during the opening session of the 7th CELAC Summit – Ricardo Stuckert/PR
Lula is on a trip to Argentina, his first international trip after taking office. Yesterday (23), there was meeting with the country’s president, Alberto Fernández, for the resumption of bilateral relations. Also this Tuesday, he meets with the director general of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Qu Dongyu, with the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, with the prime minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, and with the president of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel.
Dialogue and cooperation
Lula reaffirmed Brazil’s return to the international scene and said that “nothing more natural than starting this path of return through Celac”. With the change of government, Brazil is rejoining the groupafter three years away from the mechanism.
“It is with great joy and very special satisfaction that Brazil is back in the region and ready to work side by side with all of you, with a very strong sense of solidarity and closeness”, said Lula, also citing other cooperation organizations such as the Mercosur and Unasur.
During his opening speech at the meeting, the president of Argentina, Alberto Fernández, welcomed the representatives of the 33 countries that are part of CELAC and asked for a round of applause to celebrate the return of Brazil. “A Celac without Brazil is a much more empty Celac. Your presence completes us today”, he said, addressing Lula. The meeting ended the presidency pro tempore from Argentina at Celac. Who takes over now is Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
