Isaura Daniel
São Paulo – Brazilian diplomats are going to be trained in the commercial area before starting to work at Brazilian embassies abroad. The Department of Trade Promotion of the Ministry of Foreign Relations has made an agreement with the Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo (Fiesp), through which professionals connected to the Itamaraty, the Brazilian Foreign Office, will be trained to learn more about the reality of Brazilian industry.
According to the Fiesp International Relations manager, Christian Lohbauer, the objective is to bring Brazilian diplomats closer to the productive world and also to make them into trade agents. Before a professional travels to work as an economic or political advisor, or even as an ambassador to any country, he will visit Brazilian industries that export to the region.
The idea is that the diplomat should spend some days visiting factories that have trade relations with the region and talking to businessmen in the sector. "He will undergo an immersion course in the sector," stated Lohbauer. If he goes to Russia, for example, to where Brazil exports pork, he will visit slaughterhouses, he will learn about the main problems regarding trade with the country, and he will visit the company production line. If he is going to the United Arab Emirates, he will have contact with producers of cosmetics and jewellery.
The number of days that diplomats will spend on this training has not yet been defined. The pilot project should begin in November. The Fiesp is currently awaiting receipt of the list of professionals to be sent to other countries next year. The transfers are normally communicated 60 days prior to the trip. The agreement should involve from diplomats who are starting in the hierarchy to those in the highest levels.
Further sales
According to Lohbauer, although the agreement was made with the Federation from São Paulo, the training should be throughout the country. If the main industries that do business with the country in reference are in another state, the diplomat should travel to the regions to learn about the sector. "The intention is to promote Brazilian industry," stated the Fiesp manager.
The agreement was discussed last week between the president of Fiesp, Paulo Skaf, and ambassador Mario Vilalva, director of the Trade Promotion Department of the Ministry of Foreign Relations, but it has not yet been made official.
"The future is promising and, in this respect, São Paulo, the engine of industrial production, will have everything necessary to contribute and benefit from this new scenery," stated the ambassador at the occasion. According to Lohbauer, after the pilot project has started, the next steps of the accord will be defined.
As soon as he was inaugurated, Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced that he intended to strengthen trade activities of Brazilian embassies in other countries, with the intention of improving foreign trade figures. Brazil has 95 embassies abroad and 50 consulates and vice-consulates.
