President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva declared that he would like to see the conclusion of a Mercosur-European Union trade agreement by the end of this year.
But, he added, economic prosperity means little if it does not generate social well-being.
“In the globalized world it is not just borders that disappear. The lines that separate what is political, economic and social also become irrelevant,” said the president, speaking at a lunch with Brazilian and French business leaders.
Once again Lula called on the French business community to engage in the fight against hunger and poverty in the world.
He added that not only political leaders, but also the business community, and others in civil society, had to unite in the struggle in order to overcome “the deep economic inequalities and historical injustices that characterize extreme poverty,” said Lula.
The president is in France participating in celebrations of Brazil Year. Lula called the Brazilian exposition in Paris the largest cultural exhibit ever organized abroad by the country.
ABr – www.radiobras.gov.br