Rousseff's visit to US should revive bilateral talks

Ambassador Carlos Antonio Paranhos, Secretary-General of Brazil's Ministry of Foreign Relations, said Thursday (June 25) that President Dilma Rousseff's visit to the United States on Saturday (27) should mark a revival of bilateral political dialogue between the two countries. After alleged US spying on Brazil in 2013, Rousseff canceled a state visit to the country.

According to Paranhos, the episode has been overcome and should not be raised again. He pointed out that the official presidential visit to the US will advance business partnerships.

“We'll be talking to business leaders to show that Brazil is taking the austerity policy and infrastructure investment program seriously. Brazil is interested in driving more US investment in this area and expanding exports to the US,” he said.

Two weeks ago, Brazil's government announced a new private concessions plan for projects in infrastructure and logistics worth about $64 billion. During her visit to the US, Rousseff and her delegation will promote business opportunities to US business leaders.

Another discussion according to Paranhos is on Brazil potentially joining Global Entry, a fast-track border clearance program for regular travelers (such as business people) arriving in the United States. Under the proposal, US authorities would pre-approve qualified travelers so they can simply show their passport to a scanner upon arrival. Negotiations to extend the system to Brazilians are well under way, according to Paranhos.

The two countries will also sign a declaration on greenhouse gas reduction commitments as a contribution to the success of the UN Conference of the Parties on Climate Change (COP-21) in Paris in December.

Dilma Rousseff will attend appointments with business owners in New York and a work meeting with President Barack Obama in Washington. The trip ends with visits to the headquarters of Google, Inc., NASA's Research Center, and Stanford University in California. Her return to Brazil is on July 2.

Translated by Mayra Borges