France and Brazil

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Political relations

The long-standing friendship between Brazil and France was enhanced with the creation of an ambitious Strategic Partnership launched in May 2006 by Presidents Lula and Chirac, which was renewed with the visit of the President of the French Republic on 26-28 March 2024 and the signing of a new action plan for the France-Brazil strategic partnership, recognizing Brazil as a global player and a legitimate candidate for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. The partners share know-how and expertise through joint initiatives based on the pooling of material, technological, human and natural resources. The Partnership concerns all fields: military, space, energy, the economy, education, development assistance in third countries, and cross-border cooperation between French Guiana and the State of Amapá. The two countries will celebrate the bicentenary of their diplomatic relations in 2025. The French President will make another visit to Brazil on 18 November 2024 for the G20.

French presence

  • French Embassy website
  • French consulates: São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Recife
  • French community: 19,942 on the register; about 30,000 French residents according to the federal police

Visits

Recent visits include:

  • President Dilma Rousseff’s State visit to France on 11 and 12 December 2012;
  • French President Hollande’s State visit to Brazil, on 12 and 13 December 2013;
  • the visit to Rio de Janeiro of French President François Hollande for the opening of the Olympic Games on 4 and 5 August 2016;
  • the meeting between French President Emmanuel Macron and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro in Osaka on 28 June 2019;
  • the Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade, Olivier Becht, attended President Lula’s inauguration ceremony on 1 January 2023;
  • the visit to Brasilia and São Paulo of the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Catherine Colonna, on 8 and 9 February 2023, who met with President Lula, her counterpart Mauro Vieira, Environment Minister Marina Silva and the Governor of the State of São Paulo, Tarcisio de Freitas;
  • the visit to Brasilia and São Paulo of Minister Delegate Olivier Becht on 6 and 7 June 2023;
  • the visit of President Lula to Paris on 22 and 23 June 2023 for the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact, on the sidelines of which he met with President Macron;
  • the State visit of President Macron from 26 to 28 March 2024;
  • the visit of the Brazilian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mauro Vieira, on 3 May 2024.

Economic relations

Economic relations are driven by both trade and investment in a country which French companies no longer regard merely as a market but as a component of their global development strategy. With over 1,100 subsidiaries of French companies in Brazil (including all CAC 40 companies except Bouygues), where they generate 520,000 jobs, it is the world’s leading destination for French foreign direct investment (FDI), totalling over €40 billion. Brazilian FDI stock in France is almost €2 billion.

France has expressed its opposition to any EU-Mercosur draft agreement which does not guarantee compliance with the Paris Agreement in the areas of climate and combating deforestation.

Our defence cooperation is the cornerstone of our strategic partnership and involves major contracts (e.g. submarines, helicopters), which include partnerships with local companies and technology transfers.

Cultural, scientific and technical cooperation

Brazil and France enjoy vibrant academic and scientific cooperation: Brazil is France’s leading partner in Latin America in terms of scientific cooperation, and France is Brazil’s number one partner in Europe with regard to academic cooperation. They have a thriving cultural relationship (2,500 students in lycées, 37 Alliances Françaises with 24,000 students), despite the gradual erosion of French-language learning. Brazil is the leading export market for the French cultural and creative industries in Latin America. A France-Brazil season will take place in 2025, marking the bicentenary of the countries’ diplomatic relations. Cross-border cooperation with French Guiana is well-structured, with the most recent Cross-Border Joint Committee held on 11 and 12 June 2024.

Other cooperation

Cross-border cooperation is a specific aspect of our relationship, given that France shares a border of over 720km with Brazil. The building of a bridge on the Oyapock River has led to growing cooperation in the fields of health, education and sustainable development, in cooperation with the Agence Française de Développement (AFD, French Development Agency). Such cooperation addresses the concerns of both parties about the various cross-border risks such as illegal immigration, security, illegal gold-washing, illegal fishing, and sanitary and phytosanitary issues. It also encourages human exchanges and trade (education, movement) and helps develop the Amazonian regional economy with due respect for local people and the environment. The most recent Cross-Border Joint Committee was held in Macapá (in the Brazilian state of Amapá, bordering French Guiana) on 11 and 12 June 2024.

Updated: 9 August 2024

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