VZCZCXRO5130
RR RUEHAST RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD RUEHTM
DE RUEHBR #1603/01 3471728
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 121728Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY BRASILIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3098
INFO RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 3200
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 6985
RUEHRG/AMCONSUL RECIFE 8803
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BRASILIA 001603 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR OES/ENRC, OES/STC, WHA/EPSC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID KSCA SENV ECON ETRD EINV BR
SUBJECT:  PRODUCTIVE U.S.-BRAZIL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DIALOGUE, 
BRASILIA, OCTOBER 30-31. 
 
REF: A) BRASILIA 1406, B) BRASILIA 1523 
 
BRASILIA 00001603  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
¶1.  (U) THIS CABLE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED AND NOT FOR 
INTERNET DISTRIBUTION. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) SUMMARY.  On October 30-31, representatives of the USG 
scientific and technological community met with Brazilian 
counterparts in Brasilia.  The Brasilia meeting was generally viewed 
as very productive where both delegations were able to identify 
areas of potential cooperation between the United States and Brazil. 
 The two delegations discussed a wide range of topics, including 
earth sciences, remote sensing, agricultural research, basic 
science, and science policies.  Also, the two sides discussed 
innovation as an emerging area of cooperation that shows great 
potential.  The dialogue helps prepare the way for a high-level 
U.S.-Brazil Joint Commission Meeting on Science and Technology 
(JCM), which they agreed should take place in Washington in the 
first half of 2009.  The two delegations agreed, among other things, 
to include a recommendation to the JCM in 2009 to create working 
groups on innovation, nanotechnology, and science education.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
----------- 
THE MEETING 
----------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The Preparatory Meeting for the Second Brazil-United 
States Joint Commission Meeting on Science and Technology was held 
at the Ministry of External Relations (MRE) in Brasilia on October 
30-31, 2008.  USG agencies that participated in the meeting included 
the State Department, the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science 
Foundation, the U.S. Agriculture Research Service, the U.S. Army's 
Science and Technology Office, and the U.S. Southern Command.  The 
60-plus Brazilian delegation included representatives from the 
Ministry of External Relations, the Ministry of Science and 
Technology, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Defense, the 
Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry 
of Mines and Energy, the Ministry of Development, Industry and 
External Commerce, the National Technology Institute (INT), the 
Brazilian Mineral Resources Company (CPRM), the National Meteorology 
Institute (INMET), the National Council for Scientific and 
Technological Cooperation (CNPq), the National Institute on Space 
Research (INPE), the Brazilian Agency for Industrial Development 
(ABDI), the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB), the Brazilian Agricultural 
Research Corporation (EMBRAPA), the Aerospace Technical Center 
(CTA), IBAMA (the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and 
Natural Resources) and universities. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The meeting began with a plenary session, which featured a 
formal welcoming by Minister Hadil Vianna, the MRE's Director of 
Science and Technology, and Lisa Kubiske, the Deputy Chief of 
Mission at U.S. Embassy Brasilia.  Vianna stressed that Brazil is no 
longer a passive recipient of scientific and technological aid. 
Rather, he stressed, Brazil is now able to participate as an equal 
partner in scientific endeavors, contributing its own financial and 
human resources to these partnerships.  Kubiske emphasized the 
strength of existing cooperation and the importance that the current 
administration places on cooperative science and technology 
endeavors.  She also noted that President-elect Obama cited this as 
an area of great importance. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) The plenary also included updates about the recent meeting 
of the Working Group on Public Health, which had been held earlier 
in Washington on October 6-7, 2008, and a brief presentation about 
the state of cooperation between Brazil and the U.S. in the energy 
sector. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Following the plenary session, the delegates split into 
six subgroups to discuss the following areas:  policies on science, 
technology and innovation; biodiversity, climate and disaster 
detection; earth and water sciences; remote sensing; space; 
aeronautics; agricultural research; capacity building; promoting 
science education; coordination of financing of basic science 
involving U.S. and Brazilian scientists; and research on and 
monitoring of infectious and vector-transmitted diseases, as well as 
possible ways to engage in biological safety and security 
cooperation.  The reports generated by each group will be presented 
in the annex of the meeting summary signed by the heads of the two 
delegations. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) At the end of the meeting, the two delegations held a 
closing plenary session to review each subgroup's report.  During 
this session the heads of the two delegations signed a statement 
about the progress made during the meeting.  The joint statement 
 
BRASILIA 00001603  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
also suggested the creation of three new working groups under the 
Joint Commission framework.  These groups would focus on Innovation; 
Nanotechnology; and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics 
(STEM) Education and Public Awareness of Science. 
 
------------ 
HIGHLIGHTS 
------------ 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Highlights include an expansion of the scope and depth of 
cooperation between the U.S. Agricultural Research Service and 
EMBRAPA; the Brazilian Air Force's expression of desire to work with 
the United States in the area of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), 
and their continued commitment to space cooperation; the beginning 
of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) negotiations between the USGS 
and a Brazilian university (UNIOESTE); and identification of new 
areas of potential cooperation between NOAA and its Brazilian 
counterparts.  Participants also cited specific progress being made 
in the area of remote earth sensing and mineral resource 
assessments. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) An unexpected positive outcome of the meeting was a 
desired expressed by the Ministry of Science and Technology to 
create a formal cooperation agreement with the U.S. Department of 
Defense.  A Ministry of Science and Technology representative 
discussed this on the margins of the meeting with Science Counselor. 
 Post will work with the Ministry and the Department of Defense to 
facilitate communications between them and to help them in defining 
and shaping this relationship. 
 
------------ 
INNOVATION 
------------ 
 
¶10.  (SBU) Both delegations supported the creation of a working 
group on innovation because they felt that innovation should be 
dealt with under the umbrella of the U.S.-Brazil JCM.  This 
sentiment was seconded by the Economic Partnership Dialog (EPD), 
which met on the same day (see REFTEL B for more information on the 
EPD.)  The heads of both the U.S. and the Brazilian delegations to 
the JCM joined the EPD delegations for a lunchtime discussion on 
innovation.  The keynote speech during this lunch was given by the 
U.S. delegation leader, Bruce Howard, State Department's Director of 
the Office of Science and Technology Cooperation.  All present felt 
that innovation would play a key role in the future of both 
U.S.-Brazil technical and economic cooperation and that it should be 
addressed under the umbrella of science and technology cooperation. 
 
---------- 
CHALLENGES 
---------- 
 
¶11.  (SBU) While most groups were able to identify several areas in 
which they would like to increase scientific and technological 
cooperation, there were some areas in which the delegations were not 
able to come to agreement.  The U.S. delegates to the Biological 
Sciences subgroup were met with considerable resistance to their 
offer of funding and partnerships to support capacity building 
projects related to research and monitoring of tropical and 
infectious diseases.  The Brazilian delegation, particularly the 
Ministry of Health, felt that this would better be characterized as 
a discussion on biosafety and biosecurity, which should involve a 
wider array of Brazilian agencies.  Despite this resistance, the 
Ministry of Health and Defense eventually expressed an interest in 
receiving more information and informed the U.S. delegates that the 
Brazilians would be convening an inter-ministerial group to discuss 
these issues. 
 
¶12.  (SBU) Post will continue to work with its contacts to find 
potential partners for the USG in these endeavors.  Post will also 
try to gather more information on this new inter-ministerial working 
group.  We expect to continue the conversation with the Brazilians 
on the possibility of cooperation in the areas of biosafety and 
biosecurity, which could lead to inclusion at the ministerial-level 
JCM in spring 2009. 
 
¶13.  (SBU) The Earth Sciences group also encountered some areas of 
disagreement.  A representative from the Brazilian Geological Survey 
(CPRM) pressed the USGS representative on several occasions to 
expand the nature of on-going cooperative programs to include a 
couple of specific areas of interest to the Brazilian agency.  While 
USGS may be willing to include one of these new areas, there were a 
couple of others that the agency is not prepared to deal with at 
this time. 
 
 
BRASILIA 00001603  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
---------------------------- 
UNREPRESENTED WORKING GROUPS 
---------------------------- 
 
¶14.  (SBU) Several USG agencies that are involved in science and 
technology cooperation were not able to attend this preparatory 
meeting.  These agencies include, among others, the Department of 
Health and Human Services and its agencies, the National Aeronautic 
and Space Administration, and the Energy Department and its 
agencies.  As a result of their absence, several topics such as 
bioinformatics, measurement standards and technology, information 
and computer technology, energy, nanotechnology and public health 
were not discussed at this meeting.  However, the Working Group on 
Public Health had met earlier in October and the agenda and minutes 
from this meeting were discussed during the plenary session.  Post 
will work with the appropriate USG and Brazilian agencies to 
facilitate video conferences or meetings on the margins of other 
international gatherings as a way of helping interested agencies to 
discuss the outstanding topics and complete their preparatory work 
before the ministerial-level JCM in Spring of 2009. 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶15.  (SBU) COMMENT.  This science and technology meeting was a 
productive tool to signal USG interest in continued scientific and 
technological cooperation with Brazil.  The Brazilians have been 
actively participating in similar meetings with European and other 
governments, demonstrating their keen interest in expanding 
scientific and technological efforts on the international stage. 
Post feels that it is critical for the USG to continue to show our 
interest in working with Brazil as an influential South American 
country, because the USG benefits greatly from the outcomes of this 
type of cooperation.  Additionally, this cooperation is yet another 
way that the USG can deepen its relationship with Brazil and 
underscore its commitment to working with this critical partner in 
the region.  END COMMENT. 
 
SOBEL