Clinton praises U.S.-Brazil relationship

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WASHINGTON, April 9 (UPI) -- The U.S.-Brazil relationship must expand, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Monday, so both countries benefit while providing leadership to others.

"We seek to be a partner, an equal partner, to promote sustainable, diversified, innovation-driven growth that translates into inclusive, long-lasting progress," Clinton said during a speech at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington. "We want, together, Brazil and the United States, to work toward creating economic opportunity, a system in which everyone has a fair chance to compete."

The economic ties already can be seen in action, she said and create nothing but opportunities for both countries in the future.

"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," Clinton said.

Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff and her delegation were in Washington Monday to meet with President Obama and other U.S. officials.

Clinton said she and Brazilian Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota would sign the U.S.-Brazil Aviation Partnership Memorandum, which builds on the countries' Open Skies Agreement and promotes more and safer air travel between the two countries.

"We think that's a win-win," Clinton told the Chamber of Commerce audience. "It will promote not only our aviation industries and business travel, but also more tourism and exchanges.

The United States will open two new consulates in Brazil, Clinton said, one in Belo Horizonte and one in Porto Alegre.

"We're trying to make it easier to get those visas, easier to travel, knock down some of the barriers that have been put up, and continue to promote people-to-people contact," she said.

But both countries know progress can't be measured by airline traffic or investment figures alone, she said.

"We have to have more cooperation and partnership between and among our universities, our science and tech sectors, our civil societies," Clinton said, noting that Rousseff and Obama initiated education programs to enhance ties between the countries.

The United States and Brazil share a commitment to democracy, human rights, freedom to helping individuals reach their full potential, Clinton said, "And there is tremendous untapped potential in both of our countries. We've only begun to explore how we can work and prosper together."

She urged the audience to identify "concrete ways" to collaborate in business, education, energy and other critical fields.

"Our countries have to be partners. We want to be," she said. "But even in today's world, that want is matched by need. Because whether we're taking advantage of shared opportunities or facing shared threats, we have to do all we can to work effectively together."

Clinton expressed confidence that the U.S.-Brazil relationship would "serve to stabilize our hemisphere, our economies, but even reach far beyond. Because what we want to see is the progress in Brazil that has been so laudable over the last several decades continue and grow from strength to strength. And we want to see the United States, with our great, diverse, pluralistic population, being the kind of model inspiration that we have historically been over our own history."