U.S.-Brazil Aviation Partnership Memorandum Signed

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her Brazilian counterpart Antonio Patriota signed the U.S.-Brazil Aviation Partnership Memorandum, which builds on their Open Skies Agreement and will promote more and safer air travel between the two countries. Clinton calls it a "win-win" deal. "It will promote not only our aviation industries and business travel, but also more tourism and exchanges," Clinton says while delivering opening remarks at the "Brazil-U.S.: Partnership for the 21st Century" conference, held at U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Washington, DC.

Clinton announced that the United States will be opening two new consulates in Brazil - one in Belo Horizonte and one in Porto Alegre - "in order to make it easier to get visas, easier to travel, knock down some of the barriers that have been put up, and continue to promote people-to-people contact."

She urged the participants of the conference to identify concrete ways for collaboration in business and education, energy, and any other critical field. "And the foreign minister (Patriota) and I will do the same here in Washington and then when I travel to Brazil next week, where we will convene the next meeting of the U.S.-Brazil Global Partnership Dialogue," Clinton says.

The conference takes place during Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff's visit to the United States and reflects the depth and positive focus of the bilateral relationship. The Partnership for the 21st Century conference is a joint effort to continue to grow commercial, economic, educational, and innovation ties between the two countries. The event includes panel discussions on business and trade advancements and on education and innovation cooperation, including President Obama's 100,000 Strong in the Americas goal and President Rousseff's Science without Borders initiatives.