President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has scheduled nine bilateral meetings for Wednesday (5) in Belém, on the eve of the COP30 world leaders' summit. Highlights include meetings with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Chinese Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang. The talks will take place at the Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, focusing on climate negotiations and bilateral relations.
In preparation for COP30, starting November 10 and running until November 21 in Belém, President Lula is holding a series of bilateral meetings on Wednesday (5). The schedule, released by the Planalto, includes nine meetings lasting about 50 minutes each, at the Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi.
The program begins at 9 a.m. with the president of the African Development Bank, Sidi Ould Tah, followed by meetings with the president of Congo, Denis Sassou N’Guesso (9:50 a.m.), the president of Finland, Alexander Stubb (10:40 a.m.), and the president of Comores, Azali Assoumani (11:30 a.m.). In the afternoon, at 2:20 p.m., Lula meets the prime minister of Papua New Guinea, James Marape; at 3:10 p.m., the president of Suriname, Jennifer Geerlings-Simons; at 4 p.m., Ding Xuexiang from China; at 4:50 p.m., the president of Honduras, Xiomara Castro; and finally, at 5:40 p.m., Ursula von der Leyen.
The meeting with von der Leyen stands out due to ongoing Mercosul-European Union agreement negotiations, with the European Commission presenting the final text in September. Lula presides over Mercosul until December 2025. The meeting with the Chinese representative reflects strengthened bilateral ties, including 20 agreements signed in May amid global trade tensions like Donald Trump's tariffs.
The leaders' summit, opened by Lula on Thursday (6), will bring together officials from over 130 countries to discuss the Paris Agreement, climate adaptation, energy transition, and financing for developing nations. The European Union, the world's fourth-largest polluter with 6% of emissions, is late in submitting its updated climate target. Announcements are expected on investors in the Tropical Forests Forever Fund (TFFF), a Brazilian initiative for native vegetation preservation.