Doha – The visit that the Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will pay to Qatar tomorrow (14th) and the day after will be an important step in consolidating political and economic relations between Brazil and the Arab country. According to the Brazilian ambassador in Doha, the Qatari capital, Ânuar Nahes, the trip is of utmost importance as “proof of the interest” in bilateral dialogue.
Nahes reported that in March of last year, at the 2nd Summit of South American-Arab Countries (Aspa), in Doha, Lula called on the Qatari emir, Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, to visit Brazil along with a delegation of businessmen, and stated that he would also take an official trip to the Arab country in the first half of 2010.
And so it was. Thani travelled to Brasília, the Brazilian capital, in January this year, and now Lula is going to return the gesture. According to the ambassador, this type of commitment is deeply appreciated in the Arab nations.
“In the Arab world, protocol is awarded much more importance than in the West,” he claimed. “The president’s coming to Qatar, only four months after the emir’s visit to Brazil, is a great display of esteem,” he added.
And Lula’s trip to Doha is taking place at a special moment in the relations between Brazil and the Middle East, as it precedes his visit to Iran. The Iranian nuclear program, a source of tension with the United States and other Western powers, will be an important topic in the president’s talks with the emir.
According to Nahes, Qatar occupies an outstanding position within the region’s diplomacy, because it is able to combine “skillful foreign policy, the defence of its domestic interests, and the use of its resources.”
He called attention to the fact that the country seeks to maintain good relations with its neighbours, does not adopt a policy of supporting them automatically, and invests heavily in the region. Thus being, Lula should listen carefully to what Thani has to say regarding the issue of Iran.
Business
With regard to economy, when Thani went to Brasília, he emphasized his country’s interest in investing in Brazil and seeking joint investment opportunities with Brazilian companies in other parts of the world. Proof of that is the fact that Qatar Holding, the executive arm of the Qatari sovereign fund, has signed deals with Previ, the pension fund for Brazilian National Savings Bank employees, the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES), and mining company Vale.
One of the trip’s objectives is to make progress in this field, and Lula should arrive in Doha accompanied by 40 Brazilian businessmen from various sectors. On Saturday, a business seminar will be held with support from the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce and the Qatari Businessmen Association (QBA). At the meeting, Qatar Airways, the country’s national airline, will officially announce the inauguration of a daily direct flight between Doha and São Paulo.
“Qatar has a strong financial surplus and large sums invested around the world,” said the president of the Arab Brazilian Chamber, Salim Taufic Schahin, who will attend the event. “We can attract that capital, and the emir has already expressed his interest [in investing in Brazil]. They (the Qataris) are sophisticated investors seeking business opportunities,” he stated. He added that the direct flight will only tend to aid in that search.
The secretary general of the Arab Brazilian Chamber, Michel Alaby, announced that the organization will sign cooperation agreements with the QBA and the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in addition to establishing a bilateral business council.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
