Obama, Rousseff postpone meeting in wake of intelligence disclosures

The White House announced on Tuesday that President Barack Obama and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff have postponed a scheduled meeting next month, citing disclosures of alleged US intelligence activities by security contractor Edward Snowden this summer. Obama spoke by telephone with Rousseff on Monday to follow up on their meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia, and White House adviser Susan Rices meeting with the foreign minister of Brazil last week, the White House announcement said. Obama has said that "he understands and regrets the concerns disclosures of alleged US intelligence activities have generated in Brazil and made clear that he is committed to working together with President Rousseff and her government in diplomatic channels to move beyond this issue as a source of tension in our bilateral relationship," the announcement said. As Obama previously stated, he has directed a broad review of US intelligence posture, but the process will take several months to complete, it said. Obama and Rousseff "both look forward to the state visit, which will celebrate our broad relationship and should not be overshadowed by a single bilateral issue, no matter how important or challenging the issue may be," the statement said. For this reason, the presidents have agreed to postpone Rousseffs visit to Washington scheduled for October 23, it said. Obama looks forward to welcoming Rousseff to Washington at a date to be mutually agreed, the announcement said. Other important cooperation mechanisms, including the presidential dialogues on political, economic, energy and defense cooperation, will continue, it said.