Omar Nasser, from Fiep*
and Isaura Daniel
isaura.daniel@anba.com.br
São Paulo and Curitiba – The Arab ambassadors to Brazil will be in the city of Curitiba, capital of the southern Brazilian state of Paraná, starting today (10) to improve relations with state leaders and businessmen. Up to Saturday (12) they will have a broad agenda that includes meetings with state governor Roberto Requião and also with businessmen at the Federation of Industries of the State of Paraná (Fiep). "It is a courtesy visit, for improvement of relations," stated the head of the League of Arab States mission to Brazil, Mahmoud Elsouri, who is participating in the trip. The secretary general at the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, Michel Alaby, is also accompanying the group.
Periodically, the Council of Arab Ambassadors to Brazil organizes trips of the ambassadors to different Brazilian states. "The ambassadors should visit all Brazilian states during their term in the country to learn about the potential for business with their countries," stated Alaby. They have already visited the states of Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina (S), Piauí (NE) and Minas Gerais and São Paulo (SE). "We will present the Arab market to local businessmen and leaders to discuss export, import and investment opportunities," explained Alaby.
The ambassadors arrived in Curitiba yesterday night (09). Today they will meet with the mayor of Curitiba, Carlos Alberto Richa. During the day they will meet with the presidents of the State Legislative Assembly, Nelson Justus, and with the president of the Paraná Court of Justice, José Antonio Vidal Coelho. On Friday, the group will meet with the president at the Fiep, Rodrigo de Rocha Loures, and then with the state governor. They are also going to participate in a ceremony honouring former Syrian president Hafez Al Assad, whose name was given to a square in Curitiba.
The meeting with the Fiep, promoted by the International Business Centre at the organization, also includes businessmen from the state of Paraná. Alaby will give a talk about the Arab world to businessmen in the state. The state of Paraná wants to expand business with the Middle East and North Africa. "They are countries that have a good level of income and that are potential clients for Paraná state industrial production," pointed out Ardisson Nahim Akel, the coordinator of the Foreign Trade Council at the Fiep.
Businessmen
Last year, sales from the state of Paraná to the region totalled US$ 540 million. In the first three months of this year, they have already reached US$ 129 million, an increase of 21.4% over the same period in 2006, when sales reached US$ 106.2 million. "The state of Paraná is a great agro-industrial producer and also makes products like auto parts and metallurgy products, sectors of great demand in the Arab world," stated Alaby. The state of Paraná also imports from the Arabs. In 2006, purchases totalled US$ 46.5 million. In the first quarter of this year, the value reached US$ 50 million. Purchases are mainly oil and phosphates.
The meeting at the Fiep is organized in partnership with organizations like the Federation of Trade Associations of the state of Paraná (Faciap), the Paraná States Trade Association (ACP) and the Foreign Trade Council (Concex). The event is taking place this morning at the Integrated Centre for Businessmen and Workers of the State of Paraná (Cietep), in Curitiba. Those interested in further information may contact number (+55 41) 3271-9100.
The ambassadors are also going to participate, during the trip to Curitiba, in dinners offered by the director of newspaper Gazeta Árabe, Hanna Fares, and by the honorary consul of Syria to Curitiba, Abdo Dib Abage. On Saturday they will visit the St. George Orthodox Church and the Muslim Mosque.
Paraná
With production heavily influenced by agriculture, over the last three decades the economy of the state of Paraná has entered a strong diversification process. A marker of this process was the establishment of the Industrial City of Curitiba, in 1975. Today, the district counts on 5,201 companies that operate in the most varied of sectors. The industries, however, are not restricted to the state capital and surrounding regions, but are multiplying throughout the state.
In some regions production hubs have been established. There are currently 22 Local Production Arrangements (LPAs) in the state of Paraná, like the furniture hub in Arapongas, medical and hospital equipment in Campo Mourão, bathroom metals in Loanda and information technology in Londrina, among others.
Currently, industry answers to 40% of state production, against 18.4% from agriculture – the other 41.6% is due to services. Prominent sectors in state industry are food, furniture, machinery, construction material, garment manufacture, vehicles, tractors, software and medical and hospital equipment, among others.
*Federation of Industries of the State of Paraná
