Brazil and the United States are now at a very important point of their relationship, as the two sides seek collaboration in infrastructure programs, a U.S. official said Thursday, Xinhua reported.
Attending the 5th U.S.-Brazil Session of the Economic Partnership Dialogue (EPD), Jose Fernandez, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Economic, Energy and Business Affairs, said he was "excited about the possibilities for our relationship."
The EPD, created in 2007 for the two countries to discuss ways of promoting common economic progress, was held between Brazil's Foreign Ministry and the U.S. Department of State.
At the dialogue, the two sides discussed the possibility of establishing partnerships for infrastructure projects in Brazil concerning the Program to Accelerate Growth (PAC) -- a project focused on sanitation infrastructure, housing, transportation, energy and water resources -- as well as the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.
"We discussed a number of items. We spoke a lot about biofuels, Brazil is a leader in biofuels, as the United States, and together we can do a lot more." Fernandez said.
"In the area of infrastructure, Brazil has very exciting plans for the next few years ... We talked a lot about what we can do in the area of infrastructure including roads, airports and ports, which are the areas we believe that the U.S. can play a part," Fernandez said.
Fernandez said the meeting provided an opportunity "to learn enough to believe that a number of those infrastructure projects could interest U.S. companies."
Meanwhile, Pedro Carneiro de Mendonca, Brazilian Undersecretary-General for Economic and Financial Affairs, said the EPD was "not a forum for formal negotiation, but it aims to deepen bilateral relations."
"We have examined topics of bilateral agenda that deserve priority attention and to which the Brazilian Foreign Ministry and the U.S. Department of State may help to advance in the future," Mendonca said.
Meanwhile, as part of the EPD, the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to formalize a staff exchange program between the agencies.
"As of April, USAID will have a staff member working in the ABC offices and vice versa, sharing expertise and collaborating on joint programs," the U.S. embassy in Brasilia said.