During a working lunch at the Elysée Palace, seat of the French presidency, Chilean President Gabriel Boric was thanked by French President Emmanuel Macron for his clear position on the war launched by Russia in Ukraine. The meeting took place at the end of a European tour by Boric, who had participated in a summit in Brussels with leaders of the European Union and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). However, the final declaration of the summit only expressed “concern” about “the war against Ukraine” without specifically referring to Russia, which had been the subject of controversy.
During his official visit to France, Boric highlighted the importance of Chile in the global climate transition. He promoted key sectors such as green hydrogen, copper, and lithium, noting that Chile is the world’s second-largest producer of lithium, an essential mineral for electric car batteries. In addition, cooperation between both countries in the production of decarbonized energy and the extraction of critical metals was discussed.
Cooperation in Antarctica was also a highlight of Boric’s visit. An agreement was signed between the foreign ministers of France and Chile, and the “first summit of the poles” was announced in November in Paris.
Boric took the opportunity to thank France for having welcomed thousands of Chileans who sought refuge in the country after Augusto Pinochet’s coup d’état in 1973. This community of Chileans in France has been an essential link in exchanges between the two nations, according to the French president.