COP28: Lula says he doesn’t know about a plan for Petrobras Arabia – 12/03/2023 – Environment

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) said this Sunday morning (3), in Dubai, that the president of Petrobras, Jean Paul Prates, has a “very fertile” mind, “at Formula 1 speed”. He was referring to Prates’ announcement on Friday (1st) regarding the possibility of the Brazilian oil company opening a unit in the Middle East, Petrobras Arabia.

“First, you should ask this question to Jean Paul Prates. Because I wasn’t informed that people are going to create a Petrobras here [no Oriente Médio]. As his head is very fertile, and he thinks at a Formula 1 speed, and I work at a Volkswagen speed, I need to learn what this is what he is going to do,” he stated.

“Petrobras will not stop prospecting for oil. It is important to remember this. Because fossil fuel will still function for a long time in the world economy. But, at the same time, Petrobras will transform itself into not just an oil company, but a that will take care of energy as a whole”, said the president.

“I’ll talk to him [Prates]. You gave me great information”, concluded Lula. The speech was a response to a question asked at the press conference that ended Lula’s participation in COP28, in the United Arab Emirates. After the conversation, he left for Germany.

According to what Prates said on Friday (1st), to Bloomberg News, the state-owned company should begin this month the study of a subsidiary designed to strengthen commercial ties in the Persian Gulf region. “We will analyze the feasibility of establishing a wholly owned subsidiary in the Gulf: Petrobras Arabia,” said Prates, via text message.

Brazil produces more than 3 million barrels of oil per day, about the same as Iran and the United Arab Emirates, which are members of OPEC. And, at this COP, the government announced that Brazil will join OPEC+, a group that brings together the 13 OPEC countries plus ten other observer countries, without voting rights.

The president commented on the apparent nonsense of participating in an oil bloc in the image of an environmental power propagated by the country. “Brazil will never be an effective member of OPEC because we don’t want to. Now, what we want is to influence,” he stated.

“The observer goes to listen and comes to give an opinion. And why is it important for Brazil to participate? It’s true that we need to reduce fossil fuel, but it’s true that we need to create an alternative. So, before it ends, you need to offer giving humanity an option. Participation in OPEC+ is for us to discuss with OPEC the need to invest some of their money to help poor countries on the African continent, Latin America and Asia.”

Another issue raised by the press was the current conflict situation between Guyana and Venezuela, which is claiming its neighbor’s territory.

“I spoke on the phone with the president of Guyana twice. Celso [Amorim, assessor especial da Presidência] has already been to Venezuela to talk to the [Nicolas] Mature [ditador da Venezuela]. There is a referendum, which will probably give what Maduro wants, because it is a call to the people to increase what they understand to be their territory. And he doesn’t accept the agreement that Brazil has already accepted,” he said.

“There’s only one thing that South America doesn’t need right now: confusion. If there’s one thing we need to grow and improve the lives of our people, it’s for us to lower the beam, work with a lot of willingness to improve the lives of our people and Don’t keep thinking about a fight. Don’t keep making up stories. I hope that common sense prevails on the side of Venezuela and Guyana.”

Regarding the European Union-Mercosur agreement, Lula said he already knew that France had a more protectionist position. During COP28, French President Emmanuel Macron said he was against negotiations.

“If there is no agreement, be patient. It was not due to lack of will. The only thing that has to be clear is that they no longer say that it is on Brazil’s account and that they no longer say that it is on South America’s account”, he said Squid.

“Take responsibility for the fact that rich countries do not want to make an agreement from the perspective of making any concessions. It is always about winning more. And we want to be treated with the respect of independent countries. Let’s see how it will happen on Friday [dia 8]. If there is no agreement, at least it will be clear who is to blame for not having an agreement”, he concluded.

At the beginning of the interview, Lula recalled that COP30 will be held in Belém do Pará. “I warned people so that no one imagines that it will be possible to repeat a COP like this, with this luxury, this wealth. It is not possible to do this in another country, unless it is another Arab country or perhaps the Principality of Monaco”, he stated.

“But we are going to hold a COP with a Brazilian look, in an Amazonian state that will be the big news. If we are not going to have the palace we have here to hold a meeting, we can hold it under the canopy of a tree and discuss issues in a canoe on a stream. This will be our COP, in Brazil, in 2030.”