Tripoli – The government of Libya is prepared to grant preference to companies from nations considered friendly, among them Brazil, in business relations. This information was disclosed on Sunday (25) by the Brazilian minister of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, Miguel Jorge, after a meeting with the Libyan minister of Infrastructure and Habitation, Abuzaid Omar Dorda, in Tripoli.
"He [Dorda] placed great emphasis on the need for Brazilian companies to come here, and added that friendly nations will be preferred in exports," said the Brazilian minister, who is in the Libyan capital for the first phase of a trade mission to North Africa.
According to Jorge, his Libyan colleague said that there is no reason to buy European products, for example, when nations like Brazil have the same products to offer. He added that there is a political component in this, as Libya, as is the case with the government of Brazil, supports the so-called South-South Cooperation, between developing nations.
This preference, according to the minister, may favour a Brazilian company when it is disputing a contract with a company from another country. "On deciding on a supplier, when there is equality of conditions, the Brazilian may be preferred," stated Jorge.
During the meeting, Dorda spoke about the projects under developed in the country. Among them a program for construction of 1 million housing units. According to Jorge, the Libyan minister wants the government of Brazil to promote company participation in this process.
Apart from that, Libya also has great demand for building material, as the country is living a moment of great expansion in this area and needs to import much. The local government wants to stimulate the establishment of joint ventures for production of items in the country itself.
Jorge added that he plans to stimulate the promotion of a trade mission including companies specialized in the construction of low-income housing and with producers of building material.
In this respect, both ministers decided to establish a memorandum of understanding, probably on Monday, establishing a bilateral committee to closely follow the business enterprises in the area.
Doors open
Previously, Jorge participated in a seminar about business opportunities between Brazil and Libya at Corinthia Bab Africa hotel. Beside him were the minister of Economy, Trade and Development of the Arab country, Ali Abdel Aziz Isawi, the president of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, Salim Taufic Schahin, the secretary general of the Union of Chambers of Commerce of Libya, Joumar Al Austa, the ambassador of Libya to Brazil, Salem Omar Ezubedi, and the business attaché of the Brazilian embassy to Tripoli, Alexandre Barboza.
They spoke to an auditorium crowded with Brazilian and Libyan businessmen. To ANBA, minister Isawi said that, apart from construction, other fields with good business potential in his country are tourism, professional training and information technology. "They are sectors that have been growing much in recent years," he said.
Isawi pointed out that Libya has its "doors open" to Brazilian companies and that the presence of a mission led by Miguel Jorge is important to expand bilateral knowledge. He added that the country seeks diversification of its economy.
Jorge pointed out that the delegation includes a large group of businessmen in the information technology area. "Libya needs to modernize, hence the interest of these companies in participating in the mission," said the minister. He added, however, that most of the Brazilian companies accompanying him are in the food sector, after all, Libya imports 75% of the food consumed in the country.
Operation of the Chamber
The president of the Arab Brazilian Chamber added that there are broad possibilities for greater trade with Libya, adding that the organisation plans to operate in this sense. "There is an enormous market for both sides," he said.
In material distributed to those participating in the seminar, Schahin pointed out that the Chamber offers a great number of services to its partners, be they exporters, importers, professionals in the area of tourism or investors. "We have been dealing with Libyan businessmen for years and will be happy to improve and develop our relationship," he said, adding that the Chamber should be considered the "house of all Arabs in Brazil".
He also provided information about the influence of the community of Arab origin in Brazil, which grants safety for businessmen from the region to do business in the country. Among the figures mentioned is the size of the community, estimated at 12 million Arabs and descendants, the fact that the government of president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has four ministers of Arab origin and the fact that Gilberto Kassab, the mayor of São Paulo, the largest city in Brazil, is also of Arab descent.
Schahin added that members of the community play a prominent part in different areas, like health, and, for example, manage two hospitals considered references in the country: the Syrian-Lebanese and the Heart Hospital. The Arab community also has several social assistance organisations, as well as sports clubs around Brazil. In the business area, businessmen of Arab origin manage companies of all sizes.
He added that Portuguese has over 5,000 words of Arab origin, that Arab cuisine is greatly appreciated and that different dishes are common in the country. "We are proud that, in this environment, for more than 56 years, the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce has been contributing to the improvement of trade and cultural aspects between Brazil and Arab countries," he said.
Miguel Jorge also visited works by Brazilian construction company Norberto Odebrecht in Tripoli, like the new airport terminal in the city.
*Translated by Mark Ament
