The United States and Brazil next week will formally launch high-level energy talks in Brasilia, the White House announced Friday.Deputy US Energy Secretary Daniel Poneman will lead a US delegation to the Brazilian capital on August 17 to kick off the initiative, which US President Barack Obama and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff agreed in March.
"The Strategic Energy Dialogue will address our mutual interest in the development of safe, secure and affordable energy in an environmentally sound way, including oil, natural gas, biofuels, clean energy, and civilian nuclear energy," said US National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor.
Poneman will co-chair the launch with his counterpart from Brazil's Ministry of Mining and Energy, Dr. Marcio Zimmermann, Vietor said in a statement.
The US delegation will comprise Obama national security aides and officials from the US Departments of State and Commerce, the US Trade and Development Agency, and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation.
Ahead of the talks, the US delegation will meet with government officials and private-sector leaders in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
