Akhir 14, 1432 H/March 19, 2011, SPA -- President Barack Obama welcomed Brazil's rise as an economic power and said the United States would be an eager customer for its oil exports, AP reported. Obama made an early morning arrival in the highland capital of Brasilia to start a three-country, five-day tour aimed at increasing U.S. economic ties with the region. After private meetings with Brazil's newly elected President Dilma Rousseff at the presidential palace, the Palacio do Planalto, Obama said the U.S. «enthusiastically» supports Brazil's economic growth. «President Rousseff and I both believe this visit is an historic opportunity to put the United States and Brazil on a path toward even greater cooperation for decades to come,» Obama said during remarks to reporters following the meetings. Brazil stands out for its strategic and economic importance to the United States. As the world's seventh-largest economy, it is a member of an exclusive club of influential developing nations along with Russia, India and China, collectively known in economic circles as the BRIC nations. Obama is looking to reset the U.S. relationship with Brazil, an emerging economic power that even without being hostile has annoyed Washington with its independent ways. Rousseff extended a warm welcome to Obama, citing his role as the first African American president and hers as the first female Brazilian president as evidence of nations overcoming barriers. She said that of all U.S. presidents who have visited Brazil, «You are the one that sees our country in the most vibrant moment.» Still, Rousseff made no effort to hide her frustration with the resistance Brazil has faced in becoming a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and appealed for Obama's help in making needed changes at the U.N.
