São Paulo – From Sunday (15) through next Wednesday (18), diplomats from Arab countries based in Brasília will visit the Amazonian state of Pará through the Council of Arab Ambassadors in Brazil. The visit includes meetings with local authorities and institutions aimed at strengthening ties between Pará and Arab countries, promoting business, and preparing for the participation of Middle Eastern and North African nations in the upcoming COP30 climate summit, which will take place in November in Belém.
In information shared with ANBA, the dean of the Council of Arab Ambassadors and ambassador of Palestine to Brazil, Ibrahim Alzeben, said this mission represents “much more than a diplomatic gesture.” He noted that the council regularly visits Brazilian states to strengthen commercial and institutional ties but emphasized that this visit has special significance as it comes at a decisive moment when the world is turning its attention to the Amazon due to COP30. Other states previously visited by the council include Santa Catarina, Bahia, Amazonas, Rio Grande do Sul, and Paraná.
COP30’s reach goes beyond borders
“Belém will be the official host city of the climate summit, but its reach transcends state borders—it encompasses the entire Amazon, and with it, the global debate on sustainability, climate justice, and human development,” says Alzeben.
He adds that the mission has two main goals. The first is to directly observe, on the ground in Pará, the preparations for the conference. The second is to strengthen economic ties between the Arab countries and Pará—a state with which, according to Alzeben, there is strong potential for cooperation in areas such as bioeconomy, renewable energy, ecotourism, and climate innovation.
Mohamad Mourad, vice president of international relations and secretary-general of the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC), the institution organizing the mission with support from Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, says the mission is expected to promote cooperation between Arab countries and Pará.
“First, it’s about getting to know another Brazilian state, its diversity, and understanding the opportunities the state offers for exporting products to Arabs and for Brazilian importers of Arab supplies. It’s about understanding this dynamic and better taking advantage of these opportunities. Also, to get to know the host state of the upcoming COP30, a very important event with the participation of over a hundred countries and delegations who are now visiting the state and will take part in summit,” Mourad said.
Meetings are scheduled with authorities from the municipal and state executive branches, representatives of COP30, sectoral institutions in industry and agricultural technology, as well as visits to Belém’s Clube Monte Líbano and Ver-o-Peso market.
The presence of the ambassadors of Palestine (Ibrahim Alzeben), Jordan (Maen Masadeh), Syria (Rania Alhaj Ali), Libya (Osama Sawan), Tunisia (Nabil Lakhal), Algeria (Abdelaziz Cherif), Sudan (Ahmad Swar), Mauritania (Ahmed Bouceïf), and the League of Arab States (Qais Sqair) is confirmed. Also attending are the chargé d’affaires of the Iraqi embassy, Firas Al Hammadany, and the Lebanese embassy, George El Jallad, as well as the honorary consul of Lebanon in Belém, Makram Douraid Said. Some diplomats will be accompanied by their families.
The Brazilian Foreign Ministry will be represented by Bruno D’Abreu e Souza, Deputy Chief of the Gulf Countries Division. The ABCC will be represented by Mourad, Institutional Relations Director Fernanda Baltazar, Corporate and Institutional Services Coordinator Ana Cristina Oliveira, and translator Saleh Hassan.
Read more:
COP30 sparks Arab interest in Brazil
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
