U.S. designates Brazil as major non-NATO ally

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump designated Brazil as a major non-NATO ally, opening doors to further military cooperation with the South American country.

In a memo released late Wednesday, Trump made good on a previous promise to make Brazil the second country in South America after Argentina a major non-NATO ally.

Trump announced his intention to upgrade the status of the U.S.-Brazil security relationship during his meeting with visiting Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro in March in Washington.

The designation would give Brazil preferential access to certain kinds of U.S. military assistance, including purchasing excess defense articles and participating in cooperative defense research and development projects.