Rio de Janeiro, December 14, 2021 – US Consul General in Rio de Janeiro, Jacqueline Ward, and Eduardo Paes, Mayor of Rio de Janeiro, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to expand mutual cooperation in various economic and social sectors at a ceremony at the City Palace today. The US Diplomatic Mission in Brazil already has cooperation agreements with several Brazilian states, such as Bahia, Espírito Santo and Rio Grande do Sul, but this is the first to be signed with a city in the country.
“Rio is a global center for innovation, culture and research. The memorandum will help expand our cooperation on issues of great importance”, said the Consul General. Mayer also highlighted that “the US government is already a partner of Brazil in many areas of public administration and we are going to strengthen this relationship even further. And it is an honor for Rio to have one.” It is the first city chosen by the United States to establish a partnership with the subnational government.
The document listed more than twelve areas of cooperation as a priority, including education, environment, urban planning, economic development, tourism, health policies and innovation. The agreement establishes clear goals, standards and outcomes, aimed at sharing best practices in public management to strengthen popular participation in projects and to improve accountability mechanisms in these areas. In addition, the ongoing and systematic dialogue will facilitate exchange of experts and technical visits between the two sides.
