Macron and Lula celebrate with submarines the strategic partnership between France and Brazil

French President Emmanuel Macron and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva celebrated On Wednesday, the strategic partnership between the two countries was announced. the occasion of the launch of a Franco-Brazilian-made submarine near Rio de Janeiro.

On the second day of his visit to Brazil, Mr. Macron met Lula at the ultra-modern Itaguai shipyard for the launching of the third in a series of four French-designed submarines with conventional propulsion.

Under an overcast sky, the submersible “Tonelero” was christened by Brazilian First Lady Rosangela da Silva, known as “Janja”.

The two heads of state underlined the significance of this partnership in a world tested by wars and crises.

This “will allow only two “important countries, each in a continent, are preparing so that we can face this adversity, without worrying about any type of war, because we are defenders of peace at all times in our history”, launched Lula.

Evoking – despite disagreements, notably on Ukraine – “the same vision of the world” between Paris and Brasilia, Mr. Macron affirmed: “The great peaceful powers that are Brazil and France must recognize that in a world of more disorganized, we sometimes need to know how to use the language of firmness to protect peace.”

Wednesday's ceremony takes us back to December 2008 and the large-scale signing pomp by the then French president Nicolas Sarkozy and already Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of a vast agreement.

In addition to the sale of 50 Caracal helicopters, it includes a contract of 6.7 billion euros to develop Brazil's submarine capabilities and its industry.

For this program called Prosub, dedicated to the protection of the 8,500 kilometers of coastline of the Latin American giant, the Brazilian Navy has chosen to work with the naval defense industrialist French Naval Group.

The “Tonelero”, launched on Wednesday, is the third of four conventionally powered Scorpènes planned. The last one, the Angostura, must be launched in 2025.

– Nuclear propulsion under debate –

En In addition, the agreement should allow Brazil to design and build its first nuclear attack submarine, the Alvaro Alberto. The project is accumulating delays.

“I hope that we open the chapter for new submarines, the fourth, the fifth, but (…) that we face nuclear propulsion while being perfectly respectful of all the most rigorous non-proliferation commitments,” said Mr. Macron.

“This framework exists, is possible. You want it. France will be at your side”, he added, but without announcing aid to Brasilia to develop nuclear propulsion.

Brasilia is seeking to convince Paris to increase its technology transfers to help it integrate the reactor into the submarine and to sell it equipment related to nuclear propulsion (turbine, generator).

“If Brazil wants to have access to knowledge of nuclear technology, it is not to wage war. We want this knowledge to assure all countries that want peace that Brazil will be at their side”, said Lula.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva and French President Emmanuel Macron on Combu Island, Belem, Para State, Brazil, March 26, 2024 © AFP – Ludovic MARIN

France is very reluctant to any transfer of technologies in this area, due to the challenges of nuclear proliferation.

The French president will then join the economic capital, Sao Paulo, to extol the merits of French companies in Brazil and promote France to Brazilian investors.

France is the third largest investor in Brazil, with more than 40 billion euros in direct investment stocks in the country.

Emmanuel Macron will also announce a “health package”, with French commitments in Brazil and Latin America, on the occasion of the inauguration of the Pasteur Institute in Sao Paulo.

Thursday, the French president will be welcomed in the capital Brasilia by Lula at the presidential palace of Planalto for exchanges dominated by major international issues.

Tuesday evening, Emmanuel Macron and Lula announced, in the lush setting of the Amazon forest, a program aimed at raising “one billion euros of green investments” for the Brazilian and French Amazon on the Guyana side.

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