US-BRAZIL S&T MINISTERIAL COMMISSION JOINT STATEMENT

UNCLAS BRASILIA 000373 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE TO OES/STC FOR BHOWARD STATE TO OES/SAT FOR RBRAIBANTI STATE TO OES/SAT FOR RFORD STATE TO G FOR PBATES STATE TO WHA/BSC FOR WPOPP STATE PLS PASS TO NIH FOR KWESTERN STATE PLS PASS TO HHS FOR WSTEIGER STATE PLS PASS TO NOAA FOR RCHACKO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KSCA SENV TBIO TPHY EAGR ECON TRGY TSPL BR SUBJECT: US-BRAZIL S&T MINISTERIAL COMMISSION JOINT STATEMENT SIGNED REF: 06 STATE 190806 ¶1. On February 27, 2007, U.S. Ambassador Clifford Sobel and Brazil's Deputy Science and Technology Minister, Luis Fernandes, signed the joint statement resulting from the July 21, 2006, U.S.-Brazil Joint Commission Meeting on S&T Cooperation. The ceremony, held in Brazil's Foreign Ministry, was well attended by Brazil's S and T Ministry staff and Itamaraty. ¶2. The signing represented the final step in implementing one of the requests made in the joint statement by Presidents Bush and Lula on the occasion of the visit by President Bush to Brazil, November, ¶2005. The document is important because it prioritizes the most promising areas of cooperation for the United States and Brazil for the future including the increasingly important areas of health, renewable energy and earth observation. ¶3. Ambassador Sobel's remarks highlighted the fact that advances in science and technology resulting from our joint activities benefit the public in both countries, especially in the area of health. ¶4. Media coverage quoted Ambassador Sobel as stating the United States would like to deepen cooperation in the use of satellite data by U.S. and Brazilian scientists to predict weather. The ability to predict droughts, floods and irregular weather phenomena faster and more accurately would benefit both countries, especially in the area of agriculture. In a media interview following the ceremony, Deputy Minister Fernandes emphasized the U.S. desire to learn more about Brazil's earlier efforts in the development of ethanol. Three additional Brazilian print media outlets ran positive coverage highlighting collaboration in health, renewable energy and bioinformatics. A Brazil wire-service story included statistics on the U.S. Administration's requests for additional funding in research for renewable energy. ¶5. Full text of statement can be found in reftel. For electronic copy: email SCI Counselor Patricia Norman at normanpd@state.gov SOBEL