São Paulo – Economic relations between Brazil and Tunisia will be discussed at a forum on May 6th at the Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo (Fiesp), in the state capital São Paulo. The Tunisian minister of Industry, Energy and Mines, Kamel Ben Naceur, will attend alongside a delegation of businessmen from the Arab country. The minister will also take part in the re-launch of the Brazil-Tunisia Business Council, at the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce headquarters, one day prior to the meeting at Fiesp.
The Forum “Brazil-Tunisia Partnership: Opportunities to embrace” will tackle opportunities for economic cooperation, business and investment between the two countries. Speakers will include business leaders from Tunisia and Brazil, as well as the minister himself. The re-launch of the Business Council will be one of the topics of the meeting. The council was first established in 2002 and comprises business representatives from the two countries. Following the re-launch, the group will represent new sectors, such as tourism, medical and pharmaceutical.
The Tunisian ambassador in Brasília, Sabri Bachtobji, says the climate in Tunisia is partnership-prone, since the country boasts s new constitution and a new government. According to the diplomat, the country is looking to enter into cooperation with Southern countries (i.e. developing countries) such as Brazil, and not only those in Europe and the Arab world. “We have a traditional friendship with Brazil,” says Bachtobji, noting that cooperation between the two regions needs to be fuelled by actual projects.
The forum will be an opportunity for information to be exchanged among businessmen and leaders from Tunisia and Brazil. “By gaining better mutual knowledge, economic players obtain all the intelligence and experience required to ascertain where business opportunities lie,” Bachtobji told ANBA. “We want to create a new synergy in order to encourage cooperation.”
Tunisia also has a new foreign investment code, which should cause international interest in the country to increase. The advantages to investing in the Arab country will be presented at the Fiesp Forum. During the meeting, Brazilians will be invited to attend the Tunisian Investment Forum, due on June 12th and 13th this year in Tunis.
The idea for the Forum came up during a visit of ambassador Bachtobji’s to the Arab Brazilian Chamber and Fiesp headquarters last year. The date was chosen to take advantage of the Apas, a food industry fair set to take place from May 5th to 8th in São Paulo.
The executives in the Tunisian delegation should also take part in the fair, which will include a stand organized by the Chamber. The delegation will comprise approximately 10 people. The group will also include delegates from the Tunisian Union for Industry, Commerce and Handicraft (Utica) and from the Tunisian Foreign Investment Promotion Agency (Fipa).
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
