Lula Launches Europe Trip to Forge Deals With Spain and Germany

Overview

• Lula will make a six-day swing with at least 14 ministers and a large business team, with more than 30 deals planned to leverage the EU–Mercosur pact.
• In Barcelona, he and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez plan a first bilateral summit expected to produce acts on gender equality, science, health, culture, entrepreneurship, and air services, with a critical minerals memorandum under negotiation.
• Lula will host the Forum for the Defense of Democracy with leaders from about 16 countries, where Brazil plans to back Michelle Bachelet for the next UN Secretary-General.
• At Hannover Messe in Germany, the governments plan to sign 10 agreements and announce at least 10 initiatives on defense cooperation, artificial intelligence, climate action, and energy innovation, while 140 Brazilian companies will exhibit and 300 more will be represented.
• In Lisbon, Lula will raise concerns over Portugal’s new nationality law that tightens access to citizenship for Brazilians, and he will hold his first official meeting with President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.