Goiânia – Businessmen from Goiás should visit the Arab countries this year in two delegations organized by the government of the state. One of the trips should take place in October and another in the following month. In at least one, the governor of Goiás, Marconi Perillo, should head the delegation, said on Thursday (28) the International Affairs secretary of Goiás, Elie Chidiac.
Chidiac said to ANBA that the first delegation, to take place in October, should visit the countries of the Gulf. Another trip, to North Africa, should be promoted in November. A further delegation, to Palestine, Iraq and Syria, is scheduled for 2014.
"They are trade delegations in which we visit countries and present our projects seeking financing. The governor should not participate in both, just one,” said Chidiac, after seminar "Perspectives for economic relations between Goiás and the Arab countries", promoted at the Federation of Industries of the State of Goiás (FIEG). The seminar is part of the agenda of the delegation promoted by the Council of Arab Ambassadors in Brazil and by the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce.
Bilateral talks
The FIEG seminar included the ambassadors of Egypt, Algeria, Oman, Palestine, Sudan, the Arab League, Kuwait and Iraq, as well as the business attachés of Morocco, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Mauritania. They said they should return to a Goiás separately to learn about the investment demand and about what the state has to offer their countries.
The ambassador of Algeria, Djamel Bennaoum, said he would like to establish partnerships with pharmaceutical industries in Goiás. On the other hand, one of the businessmen participating in the seminar sought information about Saudi petrochemical industries.
“We cannot cover the specificities of each country in a meeting with so many representatives from so many nations. If they promote separate visits, we may talk about how to supply their demand and how their countries may supply our needs,” said Chidiac.
At the seminar, Arab Brazilian Chamber CEO Michel Alaby presented the main characteristics of each country and also provided clues to the Brazilians who aim to sell to the Arabs. “Exporting is the first step, but it is necessary to invest in the country that is the destination of exports, to be more present. That is fundamental for Brazilian truly to become a developed economy,” he said.
*Translated by Mark Ament
