(From Montevideo, Uruguay) – “Friends but… May the best win!” wrote the president of France, Emmanuel Macron, on his Twitter account. In the photo that she posted she appeared next to his Uruguayan partner, Luis Lacalle Pouwatching Uruguay’s debut against France in the Rugby World Cup. The two leaders spent a good part of Thursday the 14th together, first in a bilateral meeting, then in the box at the Lille stadium and, finally, in the team’s locker room.
In the run-up to the game, the presidents talked about issues related to international politics and the relationship between Mercosur and the European Union. Lacalle Pou said that there are contradictory signals regarding the signing of the trade agreement between the two blocs. “Some things would suggest a slowdown,” the president declared to The Observer in reference to the “opening requested by Brazil and Argentina.” On the other hand, he added, there is news that goes in the “opposite direction,” such as the comments of the Brazilian president, Lula da Silvaregarding the fact that he wants to move forward quickly in signing the agreement.
In the bilateral meeting, Macron and Lacalle also spoke about the environmental situation and, specifically, “sustainability measured economically,” an issue in which Uruguay has “made a point,” according to its president.
“Historically, the environment and the economy were separated and that did not generate a very strong impulse. Today the world is realizing that environmental care has an economic value, and Uruguay is in unbeatable conditions, among other things, because it was the first to have an environmental bonus like the one made by the Ministry of Economy a few months ago. There I think there is a mutual interest to work on,” Lacalle Pou told that Uruguayan media.
Macron’s gift and physique
After the bilateral meeting, Macron and Lacalle Pou flew together from Paris to Lille, where they watched the match between their national teams. The Frenchwoman beat Los Teros, the Uruguayan national team, 27 to 12. After the game, the presidents visited the locker rooms of both teams.
Lacalle Pou said that Macron watched the game with “very good vibes.” He was “very generous with his ideas in the stands and now in the locker room. “He was pleasantly surprised with the Uruguayan spirit,” an attitude that he highlighted extended to other activities in the country.
“I told him there in the stands. I tell him: ‘Look, this is the spirit that our country has brought out in everything, not just in rugby,’ said the president. He added that in the locker room the players and relatives “anesthetized him to take photos” and He defined it as a “crack.”
When they entered the locker room, Lacalle gave a brief motivational speech to the Los Teros players and highlighted the “passion” that the team has.
“Everything that is done in life, if it is not with passion, it does not work. And let people who don’t know us notice it… Today’s game was difficult but everyone was dying to play. We are crazy about life being here in France, proud of the game that was played in the tackles, in the mess. Those of us who know rugby know that every ball is the last and that is the spirit,” Lacalle Pou praised them.
After that talk, Lacalle gave a Los Teros shirt to the French president and joked about his physique. “What did they give him? Did they put the one on the pillar? It’s half salty, isn’t it?”said Lacalle, touching one of the French president’s shoulders.
This Friday, the Uruguayan president participated in a barbecue with the Los Teros players and family members. “Being here makes me feel young and I still think I’m a player.”Lacalle – who stopped playing the sport after several fractures – told the newspaper The country. The president assured that he would like to stay more days at the World Cup, but that he cannot due to scheduling issues. “I have 533 days left in government and we don’t have time,” he explained.
Source-www.infobae.com