Manaus – Amazonas state governor Wilson Lima said this Tuesday morning (12) that he’s taking a trip to Arab countries next February. The announcement came during a meeting at the government seat with the Council of Arab Ambassadors in Brazil, who’ve been in Manaus, the state capital, since last Saturday (9). Lima is yet to name the countries that he’s traveling to. The governor also confirmed that he’ll attend the Brazil-Arab Countries Economic Forum, which the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce will host in April 2020 in São Paulo.
“We want to enhance this partnership and promote economic and social development,” said governor Lima (pictured above, 2nd, L to R). Palestine ambassador and Council dean Ibrahim Alzeben (pictured, in the center) said that the governor’s Arab tour will bring to fruition the results of the diplomats’ visit to the state.
For Lima, the meeting with the ambassadors helped enhance the ties between Amazonas and the Arab world. “This is a sign of the enhancement of this partnership in trade and of the ties of friendship with these countries, which have a culture of peace, and the commitment of the state of Amazonas towards these peoples,” the governor said.
Alzeben said the visit to Amazonas was all about meetings. “Meetings with the Arab community, with institutions, and the meeting of the waters,” he said, in reference to the conflux of the Negro and Solimões rivers to originate the Amazonas River. He also mentioned the visits made last Monday (11) to the Manaus Free Trade Zone, the Honda motorcycle plant and the Federation of Industries of the State of Amazonas (Fieam).
According to him, the nine diplomats in the delegation are an attestation of how relevant Amazonas is to the Arab countries. “We’re very interested in this state and looking to increase trade. There’s a lot of potential on both sides, in Amazonas and the Arab countries, and that much has become clear in this visit,” the dean said. “Yours is a land that can become stronger in all aspects, and I’m certain that it’s in good hands,” said Alzeben, according to whom partnerships can be created in research and industry.
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The ambassador mentioned the importance of having Arab Chamber executives with the delegation – Administrative vice president Mohamad Mourad and secretary-general Tamer Mansour –, “so that the visits can yield immediate effects.”
“The governor and the Manaus Free Trade Zone Authority (Suframa) have confirmed that they’ll be at the Brazil-Arab Countries Economic Forum next year, and the governor said he’s traveling to Arab countries next February. This has been a successful visit. We made good contacts with enterprises, and the Arab Chamber is always available to help build closer Brazilian-Arab relations in trade, society and culture,” said Mourad.
Alzeben stressed that Brazil must uphold its historical stance of supporting the Middle East peace process. Apart from the ambassadors, the meeting with the governor was attended by Amazonas Economic Development secretary Renato Freitas, Environment secretary Eduardo Taveira, Finance secretary Dario Paim, and Rural Production secretary Petrúcio Magalhães.
Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
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