Paris (AFP)

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian quipped on Sunday about the "capillary emergency" that led Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Monday to cancel the appointment he had with him during his trip to Brazil, in an interview in the Journal du Dimanche.

Unhappy with the French foreign minister's decision to meet Brazilian NGOs, who are mostly hostile to him, the Brazilian head of state canceled their interview at the last minute and posted himself on Facebook. to cut the hair, at the time when this meeting was planned.

"Everyone knows the constraints that attach to the agendas of Heads of State.So obviously there was a capillary emergency.This is a concern that is foreign to me," said in this interview to the JDD Mr. Drian, himself almost bald.

He nevertheless described his visit to Brazil as "very positive". "I had talks with my counterpart, with Brazilian civil society, particularly NGOs, but also with the economic civil society.I also spoke with the governors of several states.It is the interest of France to speak in Brazil, to all the Brazilians, "he said.

The Brazilian president has justified his decision not to honor this appointment with Jean-Yves Le Drian on the grounds that the latter had planned to meet NGOs in Brazil.

"What has he come to discuss with NGOs here? As soon as we talk about NGOs, there is an alarm (which lights up) in the mind of the one who has a minimum of common sense" the far-right president told reporters in Brasilia.

Jean-Yves Le Drian "had a scheduled audience with me on his agenda, so I realized he also had (a scheduled meeting with Vice President Hamilton) Mourao, and NGOs. to harm Brazil, the NGOs, "he added.

The meeting between the two men, which should have taken place Monday afternoon, had been canceled officially "for questions of agenda".

In a message posted on Twitter, the French Embassy in Brazil said that Jean-Yves Le Drian had met in Brazil "members of civil society to jointly address the challenges of climate change and environmental protection, in perspective of the # COP25 ".

The environment is a sensitive topic for President Bolsonaro, a notorious climate-skeptic. It has recently sparked an uproar by questioning official figures showing a recent increase in deforestation.

© 2019 AFP