Lula to travel to Egypt for climate summit

BRASÍLIA — Brazil's president-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Thursday he would travel to Egypt to take part in the COP27 global climate summit next week to meet international leaders.

"I will travel to Egypt on Monday. I will have more conversations with world leaders in a single day than [Jair] Bolsonaro did in four years," Lula said during a meeting with legislators in Brasilia, in a dig at the current president, whom he beat in last month's election.

The Workers' Party (PT) leader did not specify which leaders he would meet with.

He was invited to the summit in Sharm El Sheikh by Egypt President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi.

"We will reposition Brazil at the center of international geopolitics," added Lula, 77.

He said his re-election after two previous mandates from 2003-2010, was generating much "expectation" in the world after he defeated the far-right Bolsonaro in a tight run-off in October.

In the first three years under Bolsonaro, a climate change sceptic, average annual deforestation in the Amazon rainforest increased 75 per cent on the previous decade.

Lula has made environmental protection a key part of his platform and has vowed to achieve "zero deforestation".

He is due to assume the presidency for his third term on January 1.

When COP27 ends on November 18, Lula will travel to Portugal to meet President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and Prime Minister Antonio Costa, according to Brazilian media.