US Strengthens Int'l Food Security Program
WASHINGTON - The United States and Brazil have agreed to expand their joint technical cooperation in third countries. A protocol of intentions builds on the existing collaboration between the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC). The two agencies have worked together to advance food security in Mozambique and recently agreed to a mutual professional staff exchange.
The new agreement broadens the geographic scope of trilateral cooperation into more countries in Africa and new ones in Latin America and the Caribbean and will explore cooperation on economic development, health, education, social inclusion and food security.
The joint activities will range from sending technical specialists from both countries to training of technical specialists from third countries in Brazil and/or the United States. USAID currently works in over 100 countries, and ABC has expanded Brazil's technical cooperation to over 81 developing countries.
"Brazil has valuable lessons to share with other countries in this hemisphere given its successes in reducing poverty and achieving broad-based economic growth," said Mark Feierstein, USAID assistant administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean. "Working together will leverage scarce resources and will help us implement more effective and innovative approaches to some of the hemisphere's tough development challenges."
"USAID's long experience and expertise in development cooperation may significantly increase positive outcomes of selected projects in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. The signature of the Protocol of Intentions sheds light on the shared commitment to combat poverty, improve living standards and foster sustainable development," said the director of ABC, Minister Marco Farani.
The U.S. Government's deepening trilateral partnerships with Brazil are a reflection of that country's emergence as a global economic and diplomatic force, as well as a manifestation of the Obama administration's commitment to an equal partnership with the countries of the hemisphere.
