São Paulo – The growth of diplomatic, cultural, and trade relations between Brazil and Arab countries was one of the main topics discussed during a meeting between the Council of Arab Ambassadors in Brazil and representatives of Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday afternoon (14) at the headquarters of the Moroccan Embassy in Brasília. The Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) was represented at the meeting, by invitation, by its president, William Adib Dib Jr., and its vice president of international relations and secretary-general, Mohamad Orra Mourad.
According to Mohamad Orra Mourad, Arab ambassadors and Brazilian diplomats discussed ways to expand partnership and cooperation between the countries. Representing Brazil’s foreign ministry were the secretary for Africa and the Middle East, Carlos Sérgio Sobral Duarte, the director of the Middle East Department, Clélio Nivaldo Crippa Filho, and the director of the Africa Department, Antonio Augusto Martins Cesar.
In his speech, the dean of the Council of Ambassadors and Morocco’s ambassador in Brasília, Nabil Adghoghi, emphasized the importance of trade exchange and mutual investments between the countries and suggested the organization of a forum covering topics such as diplomacy and politics.
Carlos Sérgio Sobral Duarte emphasized the need to elevate relations between Brazil and Arab countries beyond trade exchange. Saudi Arabia’s ambassador, Faisal bin Ibrahim Ghulam, reinforced the suggestion of holding a forum with a broader scope of topics beyond the economic field.
Sudan’s ambassador, Ahmed Eltigani Mohamed Swar, highlighted the importance of African countries within the Arab bloc, which stretches from the Middle East to Africa. He also suggested the creation of an office of Brazil’s research agency Embrapa in an African country.
Libya’s ambassador, Osama Ibrahim Ayad Sawan, highlighted the importance of developing South-South cooperation, including for oil exploration in his country. For this purpose, Sawan said, Brazil is considered a priority country. He also suggested establishing academic knowledge exchange and direct maritime routes with Africa. Meanwhile, the chargé d’affaires of the Iraqi Embassy, Firas Hassan Hashim Al-Hammadany, said his country’s parliament has been seeking to strengthen relations with Brazil.
Dib commented on the topics to be discussed at the Brazil-Arab Countries Economic Forum, which will take place in August in São Paulo, and invited the ambassadors to form delegations to attend the event and organize a schedule of meetings and visits with the ABCC. Mourad presented the institution’s schedule of events through the end of the year, including participation in the APAS Show retail fair from May 18 to 21, the mission to Morocco and Tunisia in June, a mission to Jordan in October, participation in The Big 5 trade fair in the United Arab Emirates in November, and a trade mission to Libya and Egypt in December.
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Ambassadors, Arab-Brazilian Chamber talk projects
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
