Brazil's Lula says current EU-Mercosur deal negotiations look more promising than before

Brazil's Lula says current EU-Mercosur deal negotiations look more promising than before

The Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Thursday that the trade deal which Mercosur and the European Union blocs have been negotiating looks more promising than a previous version.

In a press conference alongside France's President Emmanuel Macron in Brasilia, Lula said Brazil intends to keep negotiating the potential trade agreement.

The remarks come after Macron, who has been on a three-day trip to Latin America's largest economy, said on Wednesday in Sao Paulo that a potential agreement between the European Union and the South American trade bloc as it stands is a "very bad deal" and more climate commitments are needed.

While Brazil has said it is ready to sign a deal, France has repeatedly expressed reservations and said its farmers have objected to the prospect of allowing agricultural imports to enter, notably beef, which do not meet strict EU standards.

On Thursday, Lula said Macron had the opportunity to verify in person that Brazil's commitment to the environment is not rhetoric.