Carina Dourado         Special Correspondent EBC

New York – Yesterday (Tuesday, September 20), president Dilma Rousseff met with the president of the United States, Barack Obama, and the two leaders discussed the global economic crisis. They agreed that further discussion of the matter was going to be necessary before the scheduled G-20 meeting in November in France.

The Dilma – Obama meeting lasted over a half an hour and took place just before the Open Government conference that the two leaders chaired jointly.

“There was an expression of concern by both parties [Dilma and Obama] with regard to the situation in some European countries. They suggested a need for deeper discussions on the challenges presented by the problems in Greece, as well as in Spain and Italy, before the November meeting of the G-20,” explained Brazil’s Foreign Minister, Antonio Patriota.

During the meeting, Obama spoke of his visit to Brazil, in March, saying he considered it very positive. He then invited Dilma to visit the US at the beginning of 2013.

Dilma and Obama also discussed the Arab Spring, especially the situation in Libya. According to Patriota, Obama mentioned the effort to get member nations of the United Nations to assist in rebuilding that country.

“President Dilma expressed her desire to see any international reconstruction project in Libya take place within the framework of the United Nations,” said minister Patriota.

President Dilma also attended a conference on non-transmissible diseases yesterday.

Meanwhile, as part of a busy time in the United States, Brazil’s minister of Finance, Guido Mantega, will meet with the US Secretary of Treasury, Timothy Geithner later this week. They are expected to discuss ways to work together in their efforts to deal with the international financial crisis.

Last night Dilma received an award at the Woodrow Wilson International Center in the category “Public Service,” which is given to people who contribute to making the world a better place.

Allen Bennett – translator/editor The News in English

Luana Lourenço Reporter Agência Brasil contributed reporting

Link - Dilma e Obama querem aprofundar discussão sobre crise antes da reunião do G20

Link - Dilma recebe em Nova York prêmio internacional na categoria Serviço Público (Renata Giraldi - Reporter Agência Brasil)