Department of Defense Spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Kenneth L. Hoffman provided the following readout:
On December 14-15, 2021, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Mr. Daniel Erikson, co-chaired the 4th annual U.S.-Brazil Strategic Defense Talks with Brazilian Joint Staff Deputy Chief of International Affairs, Major General Himario Brandão Trinas. The meeting took place in Brasilia, Brazil.
The U.S.-Brazil Strategic Defense Talks represent a core component of the bilateral defense relationship and provide a strategic framework to guide security cooperation. Established to incorporate the 11th round of the ministry-level Bilateral Working Group and the 37th round of the Joint Staff Talks, the forum is a mechanism to discuss strategic-level defense issues and guide future cooperation activities in defense and security.
DASD Erikson and MG Himario Brandão Trinas discussed a range of global and regional defense topics, exchanged views on transborder challenges, including pandemics and climate change, and identified steps to deepen cooperation in the areas of space, cyber, and research and development. The U.S. delegation expressed appreciation for Brazil's contributions to regional security, its commitment to peacekeeping operations and humanitarian assistance, and recognized Brazil's important role as host of the next meeting of the Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas in 2022. In line with these efforts, the leaders reaffirmed the importance of adhering to the highest standards of professionalism, transparency, and respect for democratic values and human rights in all aspects of the bilateral defense relationship.
