Celso Amorim and Leon Panetta define, in dialogue, new areas of defense cooperation between Brazil and the U.S.
Brasilia, April 24, 2012 – Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and Minister of Defense Celso Amorim conducted the first U.S.-Brazil Defense Cooperation Dialogue (DCD) today in Brasilia. The DCD was established at the direction of President Barack Obama and President Dilma Rousseff during their meeting in Washington, D.C., on April 9, 2012. In establishing the DCD, the Presidents noted the importance of the enhanced dialogue in enabling closer bilateral cooperation, based on mutual respect and trust, between the United States and Brazil. The Presidents also observed that the DCD would provide a forum for exchanging views and identifying opportunities for collaboration on defense issues around the globe.
Secretary Panetta and Minister Amorim noted the strengthening of defense cooperation in recent years between the United States and Brazil, as called for in the U.S.-Brazil Defense Cooperation Agreement signed in April 2010.
Consistent with the Defense Cooperation Agreement, Secretary Panetta and Minister Amorim stated during the DCD that they intend for defense cooperation between the United States and Brazil to focus on the following priority categories of activity during 2012:
– Science, Innovation and Technology Transfer
– Logistics
– Communications
– Humanitarian assistance and disaster response
– Cooperation in support of African nations
– Cybersecurity
– Defense support to civilian authorities for major international events
