São Paulo – The Syrian Ministry of Economy has decided to establish a Brazil-Syria Business Council and selected businessman Tarif Akhras, of the TAG group, a conglomerate that operates in different fields and has several deals with Brazilian companies, to preside over it on the Arab side. As for Brazil, the president of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce , Salim Taufic Schahin, has been invited to preside.
The invitation was made by the charges d’affaires of the Syrian embassy in Brazilian capital Brasília, Ghassan Obeid, during a visit last Thursday (11th) to the Arab Brazilian Chamber headquarters, in the city of São Paulo. Schahin, who had already discussed the establishment of the council while travelling to the Arab country, in July last year, accepted the post.
"The objective of the Council will be to expand bilateral trade and investment relations," said Schahin. "The group should meet regularly to check what Syria needs from Brazil and what Brazil needs from Syria,” added Obeid.
To the diplomat, both countries have common interests and there is will to make the good relations that are present in the political area reflect on greater economic exchange. He pointed out that this is a good moment to seek business opportunities in his country.
Obeid called for Brazilian participation in business fairs in Syria as a way of showing the country’s presence. "Showing Syria that Brazil is present,” he said. In April, the Arab Brazilian Chamber and the Brazilian Foreign Office are going to take Brazilian companies to participate for the first time in the Healthcare fair, a medical and dentistry sector equipment fair that takes place in Damascus, Syria.
He recalled that Syria chose 2010 for the Year of Latin America, and that Brazil is the leader in the region. “It is very important to deal with Brazil, hoping that relations gain strength,” said the diplomat, who speaks Portuguese.
Apart from establishing the Council and fairs, another action that the Syrians want to promote this year is a Syrian Week in Brazil. The objective of the event, scheduled to take place in São Paulo, is, mainly, to promote tourist and cultural aspects of the Arab country. “We must show a little of that to convince people to visit Syria,” said Obeid. Last year, despite the international crisis, the country received 6.1 million tourists, according to the local Ministry of Tourism, growth of 22% over 2008.
The diplomat also pointed out the favourable position Brazil takes with regard to the Arab causes, especially with regard to the returning of the territories occupied by Israel during the Six Day War, in 1967, including the Golan Heights, in Syria.
He pointed out that president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva should travel to Israel, Palestine and Jordan, in March, and that the “special” relations that the Brazilian president has with his North American colleague, Barack Obama, may make the difference. “We hope that the matters of the region start being treated in a different manner,” he said.
*Translated by Mark Ament
