FRANCE: French President Emmanuel Macron believes his Brazilian counterpart Jair Bolsonaro lied to him at the G20 summit earlier this year on Brazil's stance on climate change, and France will now block a trade deal between the EU and South American nations.
"Given the attitude of Brazil over the last weeks, the president can only conclude that President Bolsonaro lied to him at the Osaka summit," a French presidential official Friday as a public row flared between the two leaders over wildfires raging in the Amazon rainforest.
The official said Brazil's comments and policies over the last weeks showed that Bolsonaro did not want to respect obligations on climate change.
"Under these conditions, France will oppose the Mercosur (Free Trade Agreement with the EU) as it stands," the official added.