Sitting down with French Ambassador Emmanuel Lenain

We’re excited to launch Diplomatic Brief, a new series featuring interviews with foreign ambassadors on the forces that bind — and sometimes divide — their countries and Brazil.

Our first guest carries particular symbolism: Emmanuel Lenain, France’s ambassador in Brasília. France is the home country of our CEO, Laura Quirin, and where she and editor-in-chief Gustavo Ribeiro first conceived the idea of creating The Brazilian Report.

Lenain joined the French diplomatic corps in 1997 and has held posts around the world, including at the United Nations, where he served as first secretary of France’s mission. He later worked as a political adviser in Beijing and as consul in Shanghai. Before arriving in Brazil in September 2023, he served as France’s ambassador to India.

This interview was edited for brevity and clarity.

What are the three main issues on today’s agenda between Brazil and France?

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Limiting myself to three is difficult, as our relationship is broad and deep. Few embassies cover as many topics as ours; it sometimes feels like a small government. There is strong strategic trust between the two countries, both are large democracies that see themselves as independent-minded actors, one in the Global North and one in the South.

First, we are working closely on global governance. France and Brazil both believe the world should not be divided into rival blocs. We have cooperated on initiatives related to climate, health and financial stability — including France’s 2023 proposal for a global pact to mobilize new development financing, which Brazil immediately supported. During COP30, we launched several joint efforts, and our presidents announced a 1 billion euro (USD 1.17 billion) plan to foster a bioeconomy in the Brazilian and Guyanese Amazon. About EUR 400 million has already been committed.

Second, we pursue strategic industrial projects essential for our autonomy. Both our countries value making their own sovereign decisions, which requires mastering key technologies. Defense cooperation is a major part of that: the submarine program in Rio, the helicopter program involving Helibras and the transfer of technology that creates hundreds of Brazilian jobs. In advanced computing, the French company Atos has already provided two supercomputers to Brazil’s main research center in Petrópolis, and we hope to deliver a third, designed for artificial intelligence.

Third, culture and education. French language learning is thriving in Brazil — we estimate 300,000 speakers — and we operate 33 Alliances Françaises nationwide. We work closely with Brazilian teachers and welcome students to French universities. Roughly 5,000 Brazilians study in France today; we aim for 8,000 within the next few years.

I can’t help but notice you didn’t mention the EU-Mercosur agreement among your three priorities. President Lula recently suggested the deal could be advanced by December 20. Does France share that expectation?