Good morning.
I am pleased to join Minister of Justice Bastos as part of a series of meetings we will be having over the next two days while in Brazil. We have already had a fruitful discussion on a number of topics of mutual importance to Brazil and the United States.
Protecting the safety of our citizens is perhaps the central mission of any government. Without basic safety and security, we cannot be free to enjoy the many blessings of liberty and democracy. Today’s meeting provided an opportunity to share our experiences combating violent crimes and gangs.
I would like to thank Brazil and the Justice Minister for their partnership on the law enforcement and counterterrorism issues that are so important to the wellbeing of both of our countries. Brazil has taken key steps to combat terrorism including the creation of an intelligence center and allocation of additional resources in the tri-border area. We encourage Brazil to continue in its progress to strengthen laws to help fight international terrorism.
We have been discussing the hard work of the government of Brazil to combat cybercrime and intellectual property crime. Specifically, Brazil has been an Organization of American States (OAS) leader in addressing cybercrime. In December, for example, you hosted an OAS cybercrime workshop for South American states. We also discussed additional ways in which we could work together to increase the number of prosecutions for cybercrimes and intellectual property
These are issues we must face together. As your partners in the global fight against terrorists, violent gangs and criminals, the United States appreciates and supports your efforts and look forward to continuing our conversation and exploring additional ways our two nations can work together to keep all of our citizens safe.
Thank you.
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