U.S.-Brazil Strategic Defense Talks represent a core component of the bilateral defense relationship
The United States and Brazil held the 4th annual U.S.-Brazil Strategic Defense Talks on December 14-15 in Brasilia, Brazil.
U.S. delegation was led by Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Western Hemisphere Affairs Daniel Erikson, while Brazilian Joint Staff Deputy Chief of International Affairs Major General Himario Brandão Trinas represented his country.
According to the U.S. Department of Defense, “the U.S.-Brazil Strategic Defense Talks represent a core component of the bilateral defense relationship and provide a strategic framework to guide security cooperation. Established to incorporate the 11th round of the ministry-level Bilateral Working Group and the 37th round of the Joint Staff Talks, the forum is a mechanism to discuss strategic-level defense issues and guide future cooperation activities in defense and security.”
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Erikson and Major General Trinas held a discussion on a range of global and regional defense topics.
Both sides also exchanged views on transborder challenges, including pandemics and climate change, and identified steps to deepen cooperation in the areas of space, cyber, and research and development.
“The U.S. delegation expressed appreciation for Brazil’s contributions to regional security, its commitment to peacekeeping operations and humanitarian assistance, and recognized Brazil’s important role as host of the next meeting of the Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas in 2022,” the statement read.
Both defense officials also reaffirmed the importance of adhering to the highest standards of professionalism, transparency, and respect for democratic values and human rights in all aspects of the bilateral defense relationship.
