Brazil announces South American meeting on Amazon fires

ANKARA

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro announced Wednesday that Amazonian countries will meet to discuss the current situation created by fires in the Amazon.

A meeting will be held Sept. 6 with regional neighbors, except Venezuela, in Leticia, Colombia, Bolsonaro told reporters along alongside his Chilean counterpart, Sebastian Pinera, who was present at the G7 summit in France last weekend.

He said Brazil accepted Chile’s offer of four aircraft to help fight the fires in Amazon, known as the "lungs of the earth," that have already risen 84% this year compared to last year. The fires reduce biodiversity and speed global warming.

Referring to the G7 countries offer of more than $20 million, Bolsonaro said Brazil's sovereignty had "no price, not even $20 trillion."

Pinera said environmental challenges must be met while respecting national sovereignty and the use of bilateral cooperation and an international fund to help deal with the crisis is "valuable and important."

He is "very glad" to collaborate with Brazil on the issue while "respecting the sovereignty of Brazil and respecting the country's president."

Bolsonaro said Tuesday that Brazil would take the monetary offer to help fight record-setting forest fires announced Monday by French President Emmanuel Macron only if the French leader withdraws his "insults."

"First of all, Mr. Macron has to take back the insults he made against me. First he called me a liar and then, by the information I got, he said our sovereignty in the Amazon was an open issue," said Bolsonaro.

"To talk and accept anything from France, which is the best possible intentions, he will have to withdraw those words and then we can talk," he added.

U.S. President Donald Trump praised Bolsonaro, saying Brazil has the "full and complete" support of the U.S.

However, Bolsonaro accused Macron of having "different intentions" and treating the region "as a colony."