[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 44, Number 17 (Monday, May 5, 2008)]
[Page 606]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Prior to a Meeting With U.S.-Brazil CEO Forum Officials

April 28, 2008

    It is my honor to welcome the U.S.-Brazil CEO Forum here to 
Washington. First of all, I want to thank my friend President Lula for 
encouraging this forum to go forward. It's an indication of the 
importance that we both place on our bilateral relations. Brazil is a 
very powerful, very important country in our neighborhood. And it's 
really important for this administration and future administrations to 
work closely with the Brazilian Government, like it is important for our 
respective business communities to work closely together.
    I do want to thank you all very much for putting forward a list of 
recommendations. I'm looking forward to our discussion. As I understand, 
the list of recommendations includes a successful Doha round as well as 
a bilateral tax treaty and a bilateral investment treaty. One of the 
things I will share with the Brazilian CEOs is that I strongly support a 
successful Doha round, and our Government will work closely with Brazil 
to get that done. And secondly, in terms of our bilateral policy, I also 
strongly, as does my administration, support a bilateral tax treaty and 
a bilateral investment treaty.
    I'm--relations between our two countries are very positive, and 
they're very important. And so thank you all for coming. Please give my 
best regards to President Lula. Thank you for being here.

Note: The President spoke at 1:57 p.m. in Room 350 of the Dwight D. 
Eisenhower Executive Office Building. In his remarks, he referred to 
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil.