"Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva met with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen in Rio de Janeiro, to address the historic, and long-awaited, trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union. Footage captured on Friday shows the two leaders meeting at the Itamaraty Palace. During the meeting, the Brazilian leader said that the trade agreement to be signed on Saturday by Mercosur and the European Union is positive for everyone. "It is good for Brazil, it is good for Mercosur, it is good for Europe and it is good and very good, above all, for the democratic world and for multilateralism," Lula da Silva said. He also said that his government will continue to work to "open more markets and to build new partnerships" with other countries such as Canada, Mexico, Vietnam, Japan and China, in order to obtain trade and economic benefits. Meanwhile, Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the agreement that she said will benefit workers and business owners in both blocs. "We agreed that international trade is not a zero sum game,” she noted. "We are convinced everyone can and must benefit from new jobs on both sides, better opportunities for our people and the business sector," she added. “Everyone benefits, it is indeed a true win-win. Because this is Europe's way of doing business." Farmers across Europe have shared their distress regarding the EU-Mercosur deal, with months of protests amid broader grievances, including rising costs and stagnant incomes. While some European leaders have publicly opposed the deal, it is still expected to be signed in Paraguay on Saturday, with backing from a majority of EU countries. Despite the planned signing, the agreement will not take immediate effect. It must still be approved by the European Parliament and ratified by Mercosur member states, a process expected to take several months. Negotiated over 25 years, the deal would phase out most tariffs over 15 years, creating a free-trade area encompassing approximately 780 million people. Brazilian President Lula da Silva will not attend the signing of the trade agreement in Paraguay."