US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira spoke on the sidelines of the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Atlanta and agreed to meet again in the coming weeks. The new talks are due to take place before the G20 leaders' summit in Miami in December.
“I saw him here today. We spoke yesterday. I think we'll see each other again in France“, Rubio told reporters in Atlanta. He said the two spoke briefly and their next meeting is expected to be in France in November, when foreign ministers will meet.
The conversation came amid tensions between Washington and Brazil. Among the contentious issues are Brazil's refusal to approve President Donald Trump's choice of ambassador to Brazil and the US administration's decision to grant a visa to Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro after his loss in the presidential election.
A Brazilian official told Reuters that the issue was not being politicized. According to the agency, the plan for a new meeting shows the willingness of both sides to overcome differences and maintain diplomatic dialogue.
The meeting of G-20 foreign ministers in Atlanta ended without a joint final communiqué on key international issues. Instead, Rubio presented a statement by the presidency. The next important format for contact between the US and Brazil will be the G-20 leaders' meeting in Miami in December.
Sources: theprint.in, apnews.com