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Macron and Lula launch submarine built in Brazil with French tech

The presidents of France and Brazil on Wednesday released a submarine built in the South American country with French technology in a program that objectives to develop Brazil's first nuclearpowered submarine by the end of the decade.

Presidents Emmanuel Macron and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva participated in a ceremony in the Itaguai shipyard near Rio de Janeiro launching the third diesel-powered submarine built in a $10. billion collaboration.

Brazil's very first woman Janja da Silva smashed a champagne. bottle on the bow of the submarine Tonelero and the 2. presidents triggered a lever sending the Scorpene-class vessel. into the sea.

The submarine program, started in 2008 throughout Lula's previous. presidential term, is a collaboration with France's state-run. Naval Group in which defense specialist Thales has actually a. 35% stake.

The program, called ProSub, is Brazil's greatest. global cooperation task in the defense sector, Lula. said, and aims to secure its sovereignty over waters from where. 85% of the country's oil and 75% of its gas comes.

The Brazilian government said its submarine fleet is required. to protect the country's almost 7,500-kilometer (4,700-mile). shoreline and the Atlantic waters where Brazil is establishing. huge offshore oil fields.

Macron is on a three-day check out to Brazil that aims to. relaunch the bilateral relationship and tactical partnership. that stalled during the previous government of Jair Bolsonaro,. whom the French president slammed for failing to protect the. Amazon rain forest.

Macron landed on Tuesday in the Amazon city of Belem, where. Brazil will host the United Nations COP30 climate negotiations. in 2025. Lula met him there and they promised to interact to. stop deforestation in the Amazon by 2030.

Macron will fulfill business executives in Sao Paulo later. Wednesday and make a state visit to Brasilia on Thursday.

(source: Reuters)