BRASILIA, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Tuesday France was not taking advantage of its territorial presence in South America -- French Guiana on Brazil's northern border.

    During a speech for the France-Brazil Innovation Forum, held in Sao Paulo, the president stressed that both countries not only had economic and cultural ties, but also shared strategic objectives.

    "France needs to take the South American side, look at the European Union and Eastern European countries with a South American view, a continent in which France also takes part," he said.

    The Brazilian leader stressed that France should join the debate over the Amazon, in an implicit invitation to join the group comprising Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana and Suriname.

    "France has still not learned to work politically the correct way, exploiting the fact of being the only European country with a participation in Amazon biodiversity," he said.

    A meeting of the Amazon basin countries will be convened by the end of this month to form a unified stand for negotiation at the Copenhagen conference on climate change.

    On Sept. 7, French President Nicolas Sarkozy was invited as a guest of honor at the Independence of Brazil celebration, when important agreements on military cooperation were signed.

    Brazil is to buy 36 ultra-modern Rafale fighter jets from France, according to the agreements. The deal, with an estimated worth of 4 to 7 billion U.S. dollars, will support Brazil's air force for the next 30 years, and supply it with multi-role combat jets which are the most advanced in Latin America.

    Lula said Tuesday afternoon that the strategic alliance between the two countries gained more significance after the French Year in Brazil, which will end on Sunday.