Obama to discuss energy, G20 summit in Lula meeting

Sat Mar 14, 2009 8:00am EDT
By Jeff Mason
WASHINGTON, March 14 (Reuters) - U.S. relations in Latin America, energy cooperation and two upcoming summits of world leaders will top the agenda of President Barack Obama's meeting with his Brazilian counterpart on Saturday.
Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva meets Obama at the White House at 11:00 a.m. (1500 GMT), making him one of a small handful of foreign leaders to visit the Democratic president in Washington since his inauguration on Jan. 20.
The meeting comes against a backdrop of global economic and financial crises, which will dominate two gatherings of world leaders next month that both men will attend: the G20 meeting of old and emerging economic powers on April 2, and the Summit of the Americas on April 17-19. [ID:nSP395955]
Officials said Obama and Lula would discuss the economic crisis and preparation for those summits while touching on climate change, biofuels and U.S. policy toward Brazil's neighbors in Latin America.
"The two presidents will use this opportunity to discuss strengthening our cooperation on bilateral, hemispheric and global issues, including how to address the financial crisis in the lead up to the upcoming G20 meeting," said Mike Hammer, spokesman for the White House National Security Council.
Divisions between the United States and Europe over how best to address the financial crises have arisen ahead of the G20 meeting. Washington is pushing for increased government spending while countries such as France favor more emphasis on tough market regulation. [ID:nLD231918]
A senior administration official said Obama would ask for Lula's position but not push him to join the U.S. side.