Overview
- At the G20 in Johannesburg, Friedrich Merz and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva held a roughly 40‑minute discussion that aides described as a cordial reconciliation.
- Merz wrote on X that he would explore Belém more on his next visit, mentioning dance steps, local cuisine, and the rainforest while emphasizing partnership with Brazil.
- Lula had responded with humor to the controversy and, during the meeting, offered recommendations for restaurants and dances in Belém, signaling a preference for de‑escalation.
- The outreach followed Merz’s remark that accompanying journalists were glad to leave Belém, a comment widely criticized in Brazil, and he has not issued an apology.
- In Germany, Green state minister Tobias Goldschmidt blasted the government’s late entry into the tropical forest fund and EU deforestation rule dilution and called Merz a “Bundestrampeltier.”