Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


               Biden in Brazil to Boost Business, Diplomatic Ties

   by Reuters

   U.S. Vice President Joe Biden began a three-day visit to Latin
   America's biggest country on Wednesday to meet Brazilian government and
   business leaders as Washington gears up for a planned state visit by
   President Dilma Rousseff later this year.
   ''The trip, part of a week-long swing by Biden through South America
   and the Caribbean, comes as Brazil's economy is slowly rebounding from
   a two-year lull following nearly a decade of sturdy growth.
   The country, the world's seventh largest economy, seeks more clout with
   the United States and other major economies that it increasingly sees
   as its peers.
   After divergences over trade, Middle East policy, and other differences
   during the administrations of their predecessors, Rousseff and U.S.
   President Barack Obama in recent years have gradually forged closer
   diplomatic ties in hopes that the two biggest economies in the Americas
   can increasingly become larger markets for one another.
   ''Rousseff, however, has remained a vocal critic of loose U.S. monetary
   policy, which she believes hurts Brazil's economy by strengthening
   Brazil's currency and thus making Brazilian products more expensive
   abroad.

   Nevertheless, the two countries have made incremental progress in
   commercial areas ranging from agriculture to energy to aviation and
   space technology.
   In recent weeks, leaders of major U.S. and Brazilian companies involved
   in trade between the two countries have been lobbying both governments
   to work on more of the small agreements that over time could add up to
   wholesale progress for bilateral business.
   "Everybody's looking for building blocks to bring the countries closer
   together," said one U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
   "It's indicative of how people are trying to give greater structure to
   our trade and investment."
   Strenghtening ties

   The strengthening ties between the two countries is underscored by an
   expected state visit by Rousseff to Washington in October, the first by
   a Brazilian leader in two decades. While Rousseff has already been on
   official business to the United States as president, the full state
   visit will last longer and involve more and closer diplomacy.
   Biden's visit began in Rio de Janeiro, where he will address local
   authorities and business executives mid-day and tour a research
   facility operated by state-run energy company Petroleo Brasileiro SA,
   or Petrobras. On Thursday he is scheduled to visit a hillside Rio slum
   before flying to Brasilia, the capital, for meetings Friday with
   Rousseff and Brazilian Vice President Michel Temer.
   Among many pending business issues between the United States and Brazil
   are a longstanding effort to ease visa restrictions for travel between
   the two countries, lingering disagreements over trade barriers and a
   push by U.S. companies for  protection of intellectual property rights
   in a Brazilian marketplace rife with pirated software and technology.
   Meanwhile, Washington is still urging Brazil to back Boeing Co., the
   U.S. aerospace manufacturer, on a planned purchase to upgrade its
   fighter jet fleet. Brazil, for its part, is eager to get U.S. backing
   for long-coveted permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.
   After a visit by Obama to Brazil in March 2011, the White House said it
   recognized Brazil's ambitions at the United Nations, but stopped short
   of backing its call for a place on the council.
   Earlier this week Biden visited Colombia and Trinidad and Tobago.
     __________________________________________________________________

   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/us-vice-president-in-brazil/1670497.h
   tml

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/us-vice-president-in-brazil/1670497.html