Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he had “a lot in common” with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), whom he met this Sunday in Hiroshima, on the sidelines of the G-7 summit. The leaders discussed trade, environmental protection, the situation in the hemisphere and the war in Ukraine, according to Brazilian government information.

The war waged by Russia against Ukraine is one of the main themes of the G-7, a coherent group in favor of Kyiv. Brazil, which declares itself neutral in the conflict, participates as a guest. At the end of the afternoon, Lula is expected to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after being the target of strong pressure from Western powers present at the multilateral event.

For Trudeau, his convergences with Lula include the preservation of the environment. “We have a lot in common, whether it’s on environmental issues, Indigenous peoples, partnerships or supporting workers and creating a better future for all. These are some of the global issues I want to talk about. It is a great pleasure to meet Lula,” said the Canadian Prime Minister.

In his opening speech, Lula stressed that the meeting with Trudeau is “extremely important for Brazil” to potentially double trade relations between the two countries.

“Brazil is interested in discussing the climate issue with Canada. The climate issue affects the whole world, there are many people talking and few people doing what needs to be done, agreements are often not respected,” the president said.

The agenda with Trudeau was the sixth bilateral meeting held within the G-7. Lula will stay in Hiroshima until tomorrow morning local time when he plans to hold a press conference. So far, the Brazilian president has already held talks with leaders from Australia, Japan, Indonesia, France and Germany, in addition to the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The main expectation concerns the probable meeting with Zelensky later this afternoon.

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