Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa defended the EU–Mercosur agreement as a historic deal and rejected European criticism as based on a “totally wrong perception”. Costa framed the pact as both a trade and an investment agreement, arguing it does not simply favour Europe. His remarks come after the 27 EU member states reached a qualified majority to approve the accord; Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro? No — the content states Brazil’s president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will not attend the signing ceremony in Paraguay as the long-delayed pact moves into the ratification phase in Europe.

Update: Diário de Notícias reports that António Costa will attend the signing ceremony in Asunción and reiterated that concerns about farmers’ opposition are misplaced, saying the agreement includes safeguards for European agriculture.

Update 2: Additional coverage quotes Costa saying criticisms rest on a “completely wrong perception” and using the image of the EU and Mercosur “building bridges” rather than raising barriers; RTP and Expresso note he continues to portray the pact as both trade and investment, emphasising expected benefits for Portuguese exporters.