São Paulo – The prime minister of Kurdistan, Barhan Salek, suggested to Brazilians the organisation of a fair with country products in Erbil in 2010. At the meeting with the ambassador of Brazil to Iraq, Bernardo de Azevedo Brito, and the secretary general at the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, Michel Alaby, in Erbil, Salek showed great interest in closer ties between Brazil and Kurdistan.
According to Alaby, the Kurdish region, which is located in Northern Iraq, depends greatly on products coming from Turkey and Iran. The prime minister mentioned that there are opportunities for partnerships between Brazilian and Kurdish companies for the production of food, garments, building material, machinery and equipment. The products may be exported throughout Iraq and neighbouring countries.
Salek stated that there are currently great reserves of gravel in the region for the production of cement and that the companies established in Kurdistan cannot supply the domestic demand. The cost of production, for example, is around US$ 30.00 per tonne, whereas in other neighbouring countries it is US$ 65.00.
The prime minister’s plan, according to Alaby, is to take between 40 and 50 Brazilian companies to exhibit in Erbil. The government of Kurdistan is prepared to help in organisation and promotion of the event. Last year, Salek said that Italy organised a similar event in the region that generated great results. According to him, trade between the European country and Kurdistan rose 60% from 2008 to 2009.
On Monday, Alaby and Brito also had meetings with the ministers of Agriculture and Water Resources in Erbil, Jamel S. Haidar, and of Trade and Industry, Sinan Abdulkhalq Ahmed Chalabi. Both demonstrated interest in Brazilian products and in attracting investment.
The government of Kurdistan has great infrastructure and agricultural projects, like the construction of dams, bridges and irrigation systems. There are laws for foreign investment, in partnership with local companies. There are already enquiries from countries like the Ukraine, Russia and Kazakhstan, as well as companies from Turkey and Iran.
Brazilian products found in the region, like chicken, rice, sugar, beef, chocolate and other foods are, mostly, imported from Turkey and Iran. The government of Kurdistan, according to Alaby, showed much interest in importing directly from Brazil. Another sector that the government is interested in is the medical and hospital sector, currently imported from Europe and the United States.
Brazilian stand
On the last day of the DBX Sulaimaniyah International Tradeshow, which ended on Saturday, the Brazilian stand at the fair, organized by the Arab Brazilian Chamber in partnership with the embassy of Brazil to Iraq, was visited by the minister of Defence of the region, Khader Hama Jan Azeez, who praised the safety shoes by company Bompel, which sent samples to the event and is seeking a distributor in the region. In the three days of the fair, the Brazilian stand made over 60 contacts, mainly with companies interested in chicken and beef, sugar and milk purchases.
In the sidelines of the fair, Alaby and Brito also met with the minister of Transportation of Kurdistan, Anwar Jabali Sabo, and with representatives of the Sulaimaniyah and Erbil Chambers of Commerce and Industry, among others.
*Translated by Mark Ament
