São Paulo – The Arab ambassadors in Brazil will be on a mission in the state of Paraná as of this Thursday (13). The trip was arranged by the Council of Arab Ambassadors in Brazil, with backing from the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, and its purpose is to build closer ties in diplomacy, trade, and friendship with the state, one of Brazil’s top exporters to the Middle East and North Africa.
The diplomats will be welcomed by the highest ranking officials in the state, including the governor Beto Richa (a member of the PSDB party), as well as sit down with local executives to go over business opportunities. “Paraná is one of the most important states in South Brazil, in terms of its population and GDP,” the Council’s dean and Palestinian ambassador Ibrahim Alzeben told ANBA. The diplomats were invited by the government to pay a visit.
The Council holds two trips to different Brazilian states each year in a bid to find points of interest and build rapport. In addition to the trip to Paraná, the group was on a mission to the state of São Paulo in early October. This is not the ambassadors’ first time in Paraná. Their last two trips were in 2007 and 2012. “We will follow up with our contacts,” said Alzeben.
“This is an important state of Brazil and the conditions are there for stronger trade flows and investment,” says Arab Chamber CEO Michel Alaby, who will join the delegation. Last year, Paraná grossed USD 1.6 billion from exports to Arab countries, and imported USD 360.7 million worth of goods from them. The top-selling goods were meats, sugar, grains, wood, machinery and their parts. Meats alone account for 64% of the state’s sales to Arab markets, with sugar making up 29%.
In Paraná, apart from the potential exportation that could ensue from the delegation’s visit, local players are expecting to find out more about what can be imported from Arab countries. The honorary consul of Morocco to Paraná, Ardisson Akel, claims the state is willing to hear what Arab countries have to offer. He names a few products that Arab countries export, such as phosphate, fish, dates and olives, and notes that some, such as the former two, are sold from Morocco to Brazil. Exports from Arab countries to Paraná consist primarily of fertilizers and mineral fuels.
The ambassadors visiting the state are also eager to see the development strategies in place in state capital Curitiba. It is regarded as one of the best-organized cities in Brazil, and the diplomats intend to witness how urban transportation works in the city, for instance.
Another goal is to get closer to the local Arab community, since both Curitiba and Foz do Iguaçu are home to large numbers of Arab immigrants. The diplomats will travel to both those cities and meet with community delegates.
The ambassadors are also intent on conveying information and recounting experiences from their countries to Paraná state officials and businesspersons. “We will keep our minds and hearts open so we can build more windows of cooperation,” said Alzeben. The mission will comprise ambassadors and chargés d’affaires from Palestine, Kuwait, Jordan, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia and the League of Arab States. The Arab Chamber will be represented by CEO Alaby and International Relations VP Osmar Chohfi. The Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs will also be involved.
The schedule includes a meeting with the governor, technical meetings with state secretaries, a meeting with Curitiba mayor Gustavo Fruet (of the PDT party), meetings with local executives at trade board Associação Comercial do Paraná, and dinner with the Arab community in the capital. In Foz do Iguaçu, the diplomats will visit the Itaipu power plant and meet with the city’s acting mayor Ivone Barofaldi da Silva (PSDB). They will also see some of the local tourist spots. Their schedule ends on Monday (17).
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
