As two of the largest and the most diverse democracies in the world, the United States of America and Brazil today reaffirmed commitment to strengthen and deepen their ties to meet the demands of the 21st Century,
On her remarks in DC, US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the US and Brazil are the two largest economies in their hemisphere.
The United States and Brazil democracies have a special obligation to stand for their democratic values, Ms. Clinton said.
“It is, of course, important that we promote our economic ties, that we try in every way possible to raise the standard of living of our two peoples, but we do so within a strong framework of commitment to democratic values.” – Ms. Clinton
Ms. Clinton says both countries increasingly have a responsibility to work together on behalf of those values.
The countries’ policies they embrace and the investments that they make will shape their shared future, and both are developing strong habits of partnership and cooperation.
Ms. Clinton adds that Brazil is an inspiring success story: a dynamic economy that has lifted millions of people into the middle class; a country that is helping to fuel the global economy; that produces everything from commodities, of course, but also aerospace technologies, whose goods and services are seeing increasing demand across the globe.
“And as the United States works to increase our own competitiveness, create jobs here in our country, we look to our neighbors.” – Ms. Clinton
The proximity that both countries have in the Western Hemisphere to some of the fastest growing economies and some of the most vibrant democracies is a great strength, Ms. Clinton noted.
Both countries seek to be a partner, an equal partner, to promote sustainable, diversified, innovation-driven growth that translates into inclusive, long-lasting progress.
She stressed that Brazil and the United States must work toward creating economic opportunity, a system in which everyone has a fair chance to compete.
“And as our economic relationship continues maturing, investment will increase in both directions, trade will grow and diversify, more businesses from both Brazil and the United States will find markets in the other country.” – Ms. Clinton
In the meeting, Secretary Clinton and Brazil’s foreign minister will sign the U.S.-Brazil Aviation Partnership Memorandum, which builds on their Open Skies Agreement and will promote more and safer air travel between the countries.
Ms. Clinton says the initiative is a win-win. It will promote not only aviation industries and business travel, but also more tourism and exchanges.
She also announced that the United States will be opening two new consulates in Brazil.
Both countries are trying to make it easier to get visas, easier to travel, knock down some of the barriers that have been put up, and continue to promote people-to-people contact, Ms. Clinton cited
However, Ms. Clinton stresses that that the progress both countries wish to make is not going to be measured alone by flight traffic or trade or investment figures, or even by visas.
Both countries have to have more cooperation and partnership between and among their universities, their science and tech sectors, their civil societies, Ms. Clinton pointed out.
With the goal to do more to innovate together, both of the countries’ presidents have launched path-breaking initiatives.
President Rousseff’s Science without Borders program will send 100,000 Brazilian students to the world’s top universities to study science, technology, energy, and math, engineering and math, the stem subjects.
The United States has already welcomed 700 of those Brazilian students to the United States.
“We expect thousands more in the next few years. And the State Department is working with our extensive contacts in our higher education community to pave the way.” -Ms. Clinton
She underlines that this program is an excellent complement to President Obama’s educational initiative, which is called 100,000 Strong in the Americas.
“Our goal is to increase the numbers of Latin American and Caribbean students in the United States to 100,000 each year, and we want to send 100,000 American students to the region over the next 10 years as well.” -Ms Clinton
Ms. Clinton says that having more interaction between their young people, going north to south, east to west within their hemisphere is one of the keys to that shared future.
Educational exchange programs like these will help them prepare the workforce to give students the skills, experiences, and relationships that a global economy requires, she added.
At the conference, she called for the participants to identify concrete ways for collaboration in business and education, energy, and any other critical field.
“Now, when we look at the rise of powers around the world, the story of Brazil stands out.” – Ms. Clinton
Brazil is becoming one of the largest economies in the world; it’s already one of the largest democracies. It increasingly has an impact on global stability and security.
“Brazil is a responsible actor. Our countries have to be partners. We want to be.” – Ms. Clinton
However, Ms. Clinton pointed out that even in today’s world, that want is matched by need.
Ms. Clinton is confident that US-Brazil relationship will serve to stabilize their hemisphere, their economies, even reach far beyond.
On the eve of President Dilma Rousseff’s first visit to DC last month, the US and Brazil made a commitment to expand their economic and energy cooperation.
US engagement with Brazil centers on how two countries can work together to achieve prosperity throughout the Western Hemisphere and around the world.
Economic, energy, and education cooperation which are just some of the areas in which both countries want to increase investment, not only financial investment, but investment in people, through support for innovation that will bring the next generation of technological advances.
The US has made dozens of dialogues with Brazil to advance US mutual interests especially on economic and financial issues, on energy, on non-proliferation, on science and technology, on racial discrimination, and on global affairs.
A prime area of engagement between the two countries and one that has room for even greater expansion is economic cooperation, Ms. Jacobson noted.
Strategic Energy Dialogue fosters expert exchanges on clean and conventional energies
Both countries have expert exchanges on clean and conventional energies, including biofuels, in the context of their Strategic Energy Dialogue.
Both countries also collaborate on sustainable urban development and planning as part of the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas.
Both countries recently launched a Joint Initiative on Urban Sustainability that will leverage investments in sustainable infrastructure, green building, intelligent transportation, and clean energy projects.
Both countries are taking that partnership to a new level, one that brings concrete benefits to the citizens and to the world.
The United States recognizes Brazil not just a rising power, but a diverse, vibrant, and democratic rising power. Brazil is an essential player in a world in which shared global challenges are met with more resilient twenty-first century partnerships.
