It is wonderful to be here in Rio de Janeiro.  I have very much enjoyed the warm hospitality and vibrancy of this beautiful city.

Thank you Minister Bento Albuquerque for hosting a dynamic and productive bilateral dialogue today. I hope this is just the beginning of a close working relationship during this exciting time in energy for Brazil and the United States.

I also want to recognize the U.S. Government delegation here with us today including senior officials from the Departments of Energy, State, Commerce and Treasury….. Trade and Development Agency, U.S. Trade Representative, and the International Development Finance Corporation….

….and of course our private sector friends in the audience who made the trip to Rio for this important visit. As we just witnessed, the American energy industry is ready and eager to work with Brazil. 

This robust U.S. Government delegation is here on behalf of President Trump, following his meeting with President Bolsonaro in Washington last year.

Together, our Presidents have charted a new, exciting path forward for a revitalized relationship between Brazil and the United States. And a critical piece of that path is increased cooperation in energy. That is why we are here today.

The U.S.-Brazil Energy Forum was conceived as a bilateral energy framework -- characterized by effective coordination between our governments in a host of areas, and informed by representatives from the private sector of both nations.

During the Ministerial talks today, we had a robust discussion on a range of areas including Oil & Gas, Civil Nuclear Energy, and Power & Energy Efficiency.

We discussed the importance of innovation, and a regulatory climate that welcomes energy investment and trade.

We commended Brazil’s efforts to begin modernizing its own regulatory framework in oil, gas, and electricity.

Through the U.S.-Brazil Energy Forum, we seek to support these efforts in every way we can, so that trade and investment between our countries can grow and thrive.

I am encouraged today by the significant steps taken to increase U.S. presence and investment in Brazil’s growing civil nuclear industry.

The MOU signing between the Nuclear Energy Institute and the Brazilian Association for the Development of Nuclear Activities, the two leading civil nuclear power industry associations, will foster the very cooperation we seek through the US Brazil Energy Forum. 

Furthermore, the Letter of Intent signed between Westinghouse and Electronuclear is an important milestone towards American investment in Angra Unit 1.

The message is clear: The United States has the best technology in the world. And we want to be your partner of choice as you develop your civil nuclear program.

Whether it is partnerships in civil nuclear power, renewable energy, energy efficiency, or oil and gas….. The United States seeks to be a reliable and secure alternative to investors in the East, who may not always have this country’s best interest in mind.

Together our two resource rich nations have the power to ensure not just our own energy security, but that of the entire Western Hemisphere as well.

So on behalf of President Trump, the American people, and the U.S. Department of Energy, let me thank you for your time today. The future is bright.

With that, we will take a few questions.