Brazil's Lula 'interested' to meet Trump during Asean meeting, open to 'discuss anything'

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has said that he would like to meet US President Donald Trump this weekend at the Asean Summit in Malaysia, adding that he is open to “discuss anything”, from trade to Washington’s use of military targeting alleged Venezuelan drug boats.

Brazil has been trying to organise a meeting on the sidelines of this weekend’s Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit, aiming to convince Trump to lift tariffs on Brazilian goods and ease sanctions targeting the country’s Supreme Court justices, government officials, and their families.

“I’m very interested in having this meeting. I’m fully prepared to defend Brazil’s interests and to show that the tariffs imposed on Brazil were a mistake,” Lula said before heading to Malaysia.

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While a meeting between the two leaders is not confirmed yet, Lula has kept his agenda open for a meeting with Trump on Sunday afternoon. Trump’s window is also open at that time, with no meetings scheduled.

Lula has criticised Trump’s military use in the Caribbean, targeting drug boats allegedly carrying narcotics from Venezuela to the US. “You don’t say you’re going to kill people. You have to arrest people, put them on trial, determine whether they were trafficking or not, and then punish them according to the law. That’s the least that’s expected from a head of state,” the Brazilian president said.

Trump hopes to meet Lula too

Trump said Friday he expected to meet Brazilian counterpart Lula da Silva at a summit in Malaysia this weekend as the two leaders seek to repair their relationship.

“I believe we’re meeting, yes,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. Asked if he was open to reducing tariffs against Brazil, he added: “Under the right circumstances.”

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US-Brazil ties

Ties between the two countries are improving after months of tension over Trump’s tariffs on Brazil.

Earlier this month, Lula Trump to lift punitive trade tariffs in their first official talks after months of animosity, with both suggesting an in-person meeting in the near future.

The two leaders spoke for 30 minutes in a “friendly tone” and Lula raised the possibility of a meeting in Malaysia next month, the Brazilian presidency said in a statement.

Trump has imposed a 50 per cent tariff on Brazilian products and imposed sanctions against several top officials, including a top Supreme Court judge, to punish Brazil for what he termed a “witch hunt” against Bolsonaro.

With inputs from agencies