São Paulo – This Monday (10) in the Minas Gerais state capital Belo Horizonte, Brazilian secondary school students showed their interest in learning about the future of relations between Brazil and the Arab world. They attended a talk by the CEO of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, Michel Alaby, during the Mini UN, a meeting to discuss the international agenda which began last Saturday, and is being attended by students from all over Brazil.
Alaby spoke on Brazilian and South American trade relations with the Arab countries, the Arab Brazilian Chamber’s actions to establish closer ties between Brazilians, the Middle East and North Africa, and the Summit of South American-Arab Countries (Aspa). Aspa is a forum for governments from the two regions, and the first meeting of South American and Arab heads of state was held in 2005, promoted by the then-Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Approximately 50 students attended the CEO’s lecture and asked about future perspectives in Brazilian relations with the Arab countries, and how to achieve closer relations with the region. Alaby replied that relations with the region already are at a fairly advanced stage, and now they must be consolidated and expanded.
The Arab Brazilian Chamber CEO suggested taking part in fairs and missions as a means to achieving a stronger presence in the Arab market. “We must also stay alert to opportunities and market niches,” said Alaby. The students were curious about religious issues pertaining to the Arab world and the Arab Spring, the series of recent political uprisings in the region.
The Mini UN is promoted by the International Relations Department of the Pontifical Catholic University of the State of Minas Gerais (PUC-Minas) with support from the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef). Apart from Brazilian students, the meeting is being attended by foreign youths who are in Brazil through exchange programs. Topics cover the international agenda. The Mini UN is now at its 12th edition and promotes simulations of United Nations debates among the students.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
