The leftist Brazilian leader said he discussed with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, the differences in the stance of the two sides on the agreement. "I think it's normal that France tries to defend its agriculture," Lula added. "It may be a more difficult inflection point, but it is normal that they also understand that Brazil cannot give up government purchases," he said referring to an unwanted procurement clause of the deal allowing European companies to sell to Brazil's public sector.