São Paulo – The president of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC), Osmar Chohfi; the secretary-general, Tamer Mansour; and the Institutional Relations manager, Fernanda Baltazar; had a virtual meeting this Monday (12) with representatives of the Federation of Gulf Cooperation Council Chambers (FGCCC), including its chairman, Sameer Abdulla Ahmad Nass (pictured above, right), from Bahrain, to discuss ways to strengthen economic ties between the parties.
They spoke on the possibility of signing agreements and holding joint events to promote relations between the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Brazil. They considered the possibility of a webinar on business opportunities, an economic forum, a forum aimed at Arab and Brazilian women, and actions at Expo 2020 in Dubai, the world fair to start in October in the United Arab Emirates.
The federation’s representatives welcomed the proposals made by the ABCC. “The signing of the agreement with the ABCC is a significant step towards strengthening economic ties,” stated Nass. He also highlighted the importance of signing agreements between governments to expand investments.
According to the federation president, the trade balance between Brazil and the Gulf countries can be expanded and has strong potential, and the federation is willing to coordinate efforts to make this happen. “The achievement of these goals requires preparing the way to reach agreements in the area of investment incentives, avoiding double taxation, encouraging companies to invest, facilitating the means of transport, encouraging commercial exchange and visits by missions,” said Nass.
Chohfi recalled the possibility of signing a free trade agreement between Mercosur and the GCC is in progress. “There is a great complementarity between Mercosur and the GCC that we can explore, and also the possibility of signing specific agreements between countries,” he said. The president of the ABCC stated he is convinced there is space for the sale of industrial goods in the region, creating employment, and developing industrial zones in Brazil and the Gulf.
From the ABCC, also attended the meeting the head of the International Office in Dubai, Rafael Solimeo; New Business director, Daniella Leite; Marketing & Content director, Silvana Gomes; and regional advisor for the GCC countries, Iraq, and Yemen, Shaheen Ali Shaheen. Other executives and representatives of chambers of commerce in the Gulf region also participated in the meeting.
Translated by Elúsio Brasileiro