WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff will aim to show they have smoothed over tensions sparked by a spying scandal, as they open two days of talks at the White House Monday.
The meetings come nearly two years after Rousseff canceled a rare state visit to Washington following revelations that Brazil was a target of American spy programs. The disclosures by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden deeply strained relations between the two hemispheric powers.
Rather than rehash the spying controversy, officials from both countries say the leaders want to delve into talks on trade, investment and climate change.
"They are putting behind the Edward Snowden affair," said Michael Shifter, president of the Inter-American Dialogue, a Washington think tank. "The meeting is to create good atmosphere, a good mood, establish communication and get the relationship back on solid footing."
Upon Rousseff's arrival at the White House, Obama took her on a tour to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. Obama described the "Stone of Hope" into which King's statue is carved and pointed out some of King's famous quotes along the memorial wall.
The leaders reunited Monday evening over a dinner of grilled lamb, spinach salad and coconut banana cake, the White House said. They were to hold more formal talks and a joint news conference on Tuesday.
The meeting comes six months before a United Nations-sponsored conference in Paris in December to finalize a climate treaty. Obama has argued that a gradually warming planet could worsen social tensions and political instability worldwide, in addition to harming the U.S.
Countries are making their positions on climate change clear ahead of the Paris talks. The U.S. already has announced a 2025 deadline to reduce emissions of heat-trapping gases by 26 percent to 28 percent below 2005 levels.