MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Rousseff wants to improve ties with Washington, but hurdles and attitudes persist

After re-election Rousseff told Vice President Joe Biden that she wanted to restart discussions “right away” for a formal state visit

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, who cancelled a White House trip last year in anger over U.S. spying revelations, now wants to improve ties and reschedule the state visit - but some U.S. officials warn it might not be that easy.

 A debate in Washington over whether and when to re-extend the invitation to Rousseff reflects persistent diplomatic strains between the Americas' two largest economies, which have long struggled with different philosophies on trade how to handle regional flashpoints such as Venezuela and Cuba.

Shortly after being re-elected to a second term on 26 October, Rousseff told U.S. Vice President Joe Biden by phone that she wanted to restart discussions “right away” for a formal state visit, according to a statement from her office.

Such an event includes a banquet at the White House, and there are typically only one or two a year.

Although trade and opening the Brazilian economy is one of the Obama administration main targets they are those who feel that Rousseff must first show she is willing to advance on trade and investment treaties.

Besides Rousseff became one of the only leaders ever to cancel a state visit to Washington in October 2013, following revelations that the U.S. National Security Agency spied on her and millions of other Brazilians.

The scandal also led Rousseff to abandon plans to buy F-18 jets from Boeing Co. Brazil purchased 5.4 billion in planes from Sweden's Saab instead.

Since then, diplomats on both sides have worked to ease tensions. Brazil's stagnant economy, which has suffered from falling investor confidence and a rising trade deficit, has also given Rousseff greater incentive to try to improve ties with the country's second-biggest trade partner behind China.

Biden is expected to interrupt his vacation to attend Rousseff's inauguration on Jan. 1. “Relations have gone from cold to tepid, and are warming now,” a Brazilian government official said.

Foreign policy is not a top priority for Rousseff. Since taking office in 2011, she has spent less energy than her predecessor on building ties with Africa and other Latin American countries.

Likewise Rousseff has made decisions that antagonized the United States. She ordered Brazilian diplomats in March to abstain on a United Nations resolution that criticized Russian annexation of Crimea. In September, she criticized U.S. air strikes against the Islamic State because they were not authorized by the U.N.

Those positions have fed a belief that Brazil is more aligned with anti-U.S. countries in Latin America such as Venezuela and Argentina. Many in Brasilia, meanwhile, grumble that the United States will never treat Brazil as an equal partner or negotiate deals accordingly.

But many Brazilian executives want Rousseff to boost trade and believe a visit to Washington is the best way to do so.

“We hope the state visit happens sooner rather than later because it will be a catalyst for improved relations,” said Federico Curado, CEO of Embraer SA, the world's third-largest commercial plane-maker. The U.S. market accounts for one third of Embraer's sales.

In signs of thawing ties, the countries signed a long-awaited tax information exchange agreement in September. Washington also agreed to pay Brazilian cotton producers 300 million dollars to end a dispute over subsidies.