미국-브라질 정상회담, 경제위기 극복방안 논의

버락 오바마 미국 대통령과 룰라 다 실바 브라질 대통령은 어제 백악관에서 만나 정상회담을 열고 세계 경제 위기 극복  문제에 대해 논의했습니다.

오바마 대통령은 다음 달 런던에서 열릴 주요 20개국 정상회의와 아메리카 대륙 정상회의를  앞두고 양국간의 현안을 논의하고 협력을 강화하는 자리였다고 밝혔습니다.

브라질의 룰라 대통령은 자신과 오바마 대통령은 주요 20개국 정상회의의 결정에 따라 경제 위기를 해결할 수 있다는 확신을 갖고 있다고 말했습니다.

룰라 대통령은 또 지금이 바로 세계의 신용을 재정립하고 사람들의 자신감을 회복해야 할 때라고 덧붙였습니다.

미국과 브라질 양국 정상들은 국가간의 협력의 중요성을 강조했으며 보호무역주의에 대해서는 반대의 뜻을 나타냈습니다.

양국 정상은 또 에너지와 생물연료 분야에서의 상호 협력과 무역 확대에 대해서도 논의했습니다.

 

President Obama: "A wonderful meeting of the minds"

Calling himself "a great admirer of the progressive, forward-looking leadership that President Lula has shown," President Obama opened up a joint press availability this afternoon after a meeting between the two heads of state. President Lula described the topics covered in the meeting, from stemming the global financial crisis, to addressing the unemployment around the world that results from it, to development in Africa and Latin America. 

 (President Barack Obama greets President Lula da Silva of Brazil on Saturday, March 14, 2009 in the Oval Office. White House Photo/Pete Souza)

President Obama was also asked about Brazil’s almost unprecedented move towards biofuels, and whether that would create friction with biofuel producers in the United States, but both President Obama and President Lula struck a very positive, optimistic note:

 

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Is that directed at me?  Well, look, I think Brazil has shown extraordinary leadership when it comes to biofuels.  And I've been a great admirer of the steps that have been taken by President Lula's government in pursuing biofuels and developing them.  And this is an investment that Brazil has made for a very long time.

 

My policies coming into this administration have been to redouble efforts here in the United States to pursue a similar path of clean energy development.  And I think we have a lot to learn from Brazil.

 

As I mentioned to President Lula, I think we have the potential to exchange ideas, technology to build on the biodiesel cooperation structure that we've already established.  I know that the issue of Brazilian ethanol coming into the United States has been a source of tension between the two countries.  It's not going to change overnight, but I do think that as we continue to build exchanges of ideas, commerce, trade around the issue of biodiesel, that over time this source of tension can get resolved.

 

PRESIDENT LULA:  This is the very first meeting that we have between the Brazilian administration and President Obama's administration to discuss this issue.  Actually, my answer is built in your question.  I can't also understand while the world is concerned with climate change and with carbon emissions that bring greenhouse effect, (inaudible) fuel gets tariffs, and clean fuel also gets tariffs.  I have discussed this with Angela Merkel, with Tony Blair when he was Prime Minister, with President of France, Sarkozy, with former President Bush.

 

I never expect an immediate answer.  This is a process.  As time goes by, Brazil is proving that biofuel is an extraordinary alternative.  And slowly the countries will be convinced.  And slowly other countries will join the biofuel effort.  That's what I believe.

 

A seminar will be held in New York City on Monday, where I will attend, and this will be a strong issue that will be discussed there.  I talked with President Obama about the possibility for us to build partnerships with third-party countries, especially a joint project with the African continent.  And things will move forward as people start changing.  No one can change overnight, in terms of their energy matrix.  Thank God for 30 years Brazil has already control -- technological control and know-how on this issue.

 

And when President Obama comes to visit Brazil I'm going to ask him to get inside a car that is run by a flex-fuel engine and he will feel very comfortable.

 

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  I actually had a flex-fuel vehicle.  But one of the problems here in the United States is, is that we don't have enough gas stations that have biofuels in them.  So that's one of the areas that we need to change our distribution networks here in the United States.

 http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/14/president-obama-a-wonderful-meeting-of-the-minds/

 

*미국, 브라질 정상회담, G20 금융서미트의 대응을 논의

미국의 오바마 대통령은 14일 브라질의 룰라 대통령과 백악관에서 회담을 갖고 다음달 2일에 런던에서 개최되는 G20금융서미트에서는 실질적인 효과가 기대되는 구체적인 내용을 각국이 합의하는 것이 중요하다는 점에서 의견이 일치했습니다.

회담이 끝난 후 양국 정상은 공동기자회견을 갖고 룰라 대통령이 보호주의를 회피하는 것이 중요하다고 강조한 데 대해 오바마 대통령도 경제위기 속에서 새로운 무역의 틀에 대해 합의하는 것은 어려운 일이지만 적어도 후퇴해서는 안 된다고 응했습니다.

오바마 대통령은 또 미국 국채의 최대 보유국인 중국이 가치감소를 우려하고 있는데 것과 관련해 미국의 경제와 정치의 기반은 매우 안정돼 있다고 강조하고 미국에 대한 투자는 안전하다면서 절대적인 확신을 가져 달라고 말했습니다.