Isaura Daniel
and Marina Sarruf, special envoys*
Brasília – Businessmen in groups or pairs, speaking Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, English and even French. This was the scenery at the Ulysses Guimarães Convention Centre, in Brazilian capital Brasília, yesterday, during the first day of the Business Meeting. The event is taking place on the sidelines of the summit between Arab and South American countries. At the talks, questions were about laws for foreign investment and about products and services of greater demand in each country.
It was the beginning of the movement by private Arab and South American companies to accomplish the objectives of the summit: increasing trade between both regions. The Brazilians began the day with the target stipulated by the minister of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, Luiz Fernando Furlan: elevating bilateral trade between the country and the 22 nations in the League of Arab States from the current US$ 8.2 billion per year to US$ 15 billion in three years.
The minister of Trade and Industry of Algeria, Hachemi Djaaboub, also sent his message to the businessmen who participated in the opening event of the Business Meeting. "Through you, businessmen and investors, the idea (of integration of South America and the Arab countries) may leave only the political plan," he stated. "I hope that you may establish joint ventures for the common good of both regions," he said.
In the corridors of the convention centre, the Algerian Mourad Louadah, president of company Simed Internacional, in the agricultural food sector, started working for that determined by the minister of his country. Louadah was after partnerships with Brazilian companies in the agricultural sector. His company works with import of food. "We want to take Brazilian investors to the agricultural sector. We have strong agriculture in Algeria," he said to ANBA.
Simed imports meats, sugar and coffee from Italy, France, Spain, Poland, Iceland, China and Malaysia, and also intends to start buying from Brazil. Brazilian products are, in reality, already purchased by the company, but through Europe. The company president now wants to start buying directly from Brazil.
Paraguayan and Brazilians
Paraguayan Felipe Osvaldo Benitez, a partner at Inagasa, an agricultural industry established six months ago, was another businessman after trade partners. His company is going to start producing mineral water and plans to sell to the Arabs, Chileans and Bolivians. Inagasa already produces olive oil and also intends to start producing biodiesel. According to Benitez, the Arab countries buy water from Europe.
Beauty of Brazil, a Brazilian company, was also at the event after buyers for its products, cosmetics with scents from the Amazon. The company was established in 1986 and intends to begin exporting in 2005, according to the Beauty export consultant, Paul Anderson.
The Chamber of Exporters of Santa Cruz (Cadex), from Bolivia, brought between 10 and 15 businessmen to the meeting. According to the general manager of the Cadex, Juan Manuel Arias Castro, the objective is to get to know the Arab countries better. According to Castro, the Bolivians do not export more than US$ 25 million a year to the Arab nations. "I do not doubt that this meeting will help increase exports," he stated. Bolivia produces from soy to textile products, ores, leathers and sugar.
Businessmen from Tunisia were going around the meeting interested in establishing partnerships in the area of technology. "I am here after Brazilian companies interested in establishing partnerships for the export of technology to Europe," stated the director of the Promotion and Advanced Technology Division of the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency, Noureddine Zekri.
Disputed attention
Part of the 34 countries participating in the summit also made their stands at the investment fair, which is taking place as part of the business meeting, into a way of attracting foreign investment. That is the case with Argentina, which brought to the fair organizations to attract foreign capital, with the Investment and Tourism Promotion Agency and the Investment Development Agency. According to representatives of the agencies, the great search was for Argentine suppliers in the agro industrial area, like dairy, textile and wood.
At the stand of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (CCAB) various businessmen sought information about the Arab and South American markets. They wanted to know what opportunities existed for their products, from agricultural and cosmetics to water, furniture and safety services. Around 50 people visited the stand.
Yesterday there were also a series of talks at the Convention Centre. Today, the investment fair will continue, as will the seminar. The meeting between businessmen ends tomorrow. According to the director of the Commercial Promotion Department at the Brazilian Foreign Office (Itamaraty), Mario Vilalva, participation of the businessmen is within expectations. "The talk rooms are full. At the hotels, Arab and South American businessmen are also meeting," he said. According to the Itamaraty, 1,250 businessmen were registered for participation in the meetings up to yesterday.
*Translated by Mark Ament
