What Did Brazilian and Spanish Leaders Discuss About the Mercosur-EU Deal and Venezuela?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Brasilia, Jan 10 (NationPress) Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez held a discussion regarding the Mercosur-EU free trade agreement and the situation in Venezuela, as reported by Brazil's presidential office.
During their phone call on Friday (local time), Lula expressed gratitude to the Spanish government for its support of the agreement, deeming the deal "a very positive signal in defense of multilateralism and stable, predictable trade regulations."
Concerning Venezuela, both leaders emphasized a joint statement made with Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Uruguay, which condemns any attempts to divide the world into spheres of influence and stands against the use of force in international matters without UN Charter approval, as per Xinhua news agency.
They also applauded the announcement from Jorge Rodriguez, President of the Venezuelan National Assembly, regarding the release of Venezuelan and foreign detainees, including four Spanish nationals.
Lula verified that Brazil dispatched 40 tons of dialysis supplies and medications on Friday to replenish stocks at a distribution center that was damaged by US bombings on January 3.
The two leaders concurred on the necessity of organizing a new edition of the forum titled "In Defense of Democracy: Combating Extremism" in Spain in the upcoming months.
Additionally, Delcy Rodriguez, Venezuela's acting President, engaged in phone discussions with Brazilian President Lula, Colombian President Gustavo Petro, and Spanish Prime Minister Sanchez.
On her Telegram channel, Rodriguez noted that the leaders agreed on the significance of advancing a cooperation agenda, amid what she termed "the grave criminal, illegal, and illegitimate aggression" against Venezuela.
Rodriguez informed the leaders about the US armed attacks against Venezuela, which resulted in civilian and military casualties.
"We concur on the necessity to move forward with a broad bilateral cooperation agenda, founded on respect for international law, state sovereignty, and dialogue among peoples," Rodriguez asserted.