Dilma and Obama discuss international financial crisis

Yesterday (Tuesday, September 20), president Dilma Rousseff met with
the president of the United States, Barack Obama, and the two leaders
discussed the global economic crisis. They agreed that further
discussion of the matter was going to be necessary before the scheduled
G-20 meeting in November in France.

The Dilma – Obama meeting lasted over a half an hour and took place
just before the Open Government conference that the two leaders chaired
jointly.

“There was an expression of concern by both parties [Dilma and Obama]
with regard to the situation in some European countries. They suggested a
need for deeper discussions on the challenges presented by the problems
in Greece, as well as in Spain and Italy, before the November meeting
of the G-20,” explained Brazil’s Foreign Minister, Antonio Patriota.

During the meeting, Obama spoke of his visit to Brazil, in March,
saying he considered it very positive. He then invited Dilma to visit
the US at the beginning of 2013.

Dilma and Obama also discussed the Arab Spring, especially the
situation in Libya. According to Patriota, Obama mentioned the effort to
get member nations of the United Nations to assist in rebuilding that
country.

“President Dilma expressed her desire to see any international
reconstruction project in Libya take place within the framework of the
United Nations,” said minister Patriota.

President Dilma also attended a conference on non-transmissible diseases yesterday.

Meanwhile, as part of a busy time in the United States, Brazil’s
minister of Finance, Guido Mantega, will meet with the US Secretary of
Treasury, Timothy Geithner later this week. They are expected to discuss
ways to work together in their efforts to deal with the international
financial crisis.

Last night Dilma received an award at the Woodrow Wilson International
Center in the category “Public Service,” which is given to people who
contribute to making the world a better place.