Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez (left) speaks with Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva during their joint statement at Planalto presidential palace in Brasilia, Brazil, March 6, 2024. (PHOTO / AP)

BRASILIA - Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who met with Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Brasilia on Wednesday, said he is ready to sign an agreement between South American trade bloc Mercosur and the European Union despite growing opposition from France.

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said that he hopes the agreement will be completed soon.

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"Today we are ready to sign a Mercosur deal, but France has some issues with its farmers," Lula said, adding that both blocs need the deal and France's opposition should not prevent it from moving forward.

France has repeatedly expressed reservations about the EU-Mercosur deal and said its farmers have objected to the prospect that it could allow in imports of agricultural products, notably beef, that do not meet strict EU standards.