15 April 2004
Abraham to Visit Brazil to Expand Bilateral Energy Efforts
Energy chief looks forward to meeting with Brazilian colleagues
U.S. Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham will travel to Brazil this week, where he will meet with senior government officials in order "to further cooperative energy efforts between the two countries," the U.S. Department of Energy has announced.
In a press release issued April 15, the Energy Department explained that Abraham's visit to Brazil "is a direct result of the June 2003 meeting of President George Bush and [Brazil's] President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva," during which the two presidents "agreed to launch a broad, bilateral energy partnership focusing on hydrogen energy, energy-sector investment, carbon sequestration, electricity modernization, and offshore drilling-project safety."
Said Abraham: "I look forward to my meetings with [such Brazilian colleagues as] Minister [of Energy and Mines] Dilma Rousseff and Foreign Minister Celso Amorim, as well as Eduardo Campos, Minister of Science and Technology, to expand areas of cooperation and discuss future activities that will allow our two governments to continue this important relationship, especially in the areas of hydrogen and scientific collaboration."
On April 19, Abraham and Rousseff will travel together to Trinidad and Tobago to attend the Western Hemispheric Energy Ministers Conference.
Following is the text of the Energy Department press release:
(begin text)
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Washington, D.C.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 15, 2004
Energy Secretary Looks Forward to Brazil Meetings Aimed at Expanding Energy Cooperation
Visit Follows Energy Partnership Launched By President Lula and President Bush Last June
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham will travel to Brazil this week for a series of meetings with government officials to further cooperative energy efforts between the two countries. His visit is a direct result of the June 2003 meeting of President George Bush and President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva when the two leaders agreed to launch a broad, bilateral energy partnership focusing on hydrogen energy, energy-sector investment, carbon sequestration, electricity modernization, and offshore drilling-project safety.
"President Bush is committed to working with our neighbors in the hemisphere to develop mutually beneficial energy policies that can promote economic growth," Secretary Abraham said. "I look forward to my meetings with Minister Dilma Rousseff and Foreign Minister Celso Amorim, as well as Eduardo Campos, Minister of Science and Technology, to expand areas of cooperation and discuss future activities that will allow our two governments to continue this important relationship, especially in the areas of hydrogen and scientific collaboration."
Last June, the United States and Brazil signed an agreement to formally initiate energy cooperation. Since launching the energy partnership, the two countries have made substantial progress on these cooperative efforts. In fact, Brazil and the U.S. are working together on two major international initiatives to develop energy technologies that will address common energy challenges, the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum and the International Partnership for the Hydrogen Economy.
On Monday evening, Secretary Abraham and Minister Rousseff will travel together to Trinidad and Tobago to attend the Western Hemispheric Energy Ministers Conference. This meeting is expected to include ministers from 33 Western Hemisphere nations engaged in discussions on public-/private-sector dialogue to increase energy development and trade, improvements to energy efficiency, regulatory cooperation, market integration, and initial steps to develop a Western Hemisphere energy security agenda.
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(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
This page printed from: http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2004&m=April&x=20040415143919GLnesnoM0.2896234&t=livefeeds/wf-latest.html
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