São Paulo – This Tuesday (4th) afternoon, the Syrian minister of Information, Mohsen Bilal, met with the mayor of São Paulo, Gilberto Kassab, at the City Hall, in the centre of the city. Bilal has come to Brazil to represent the Syrian government at the inauguration of president Dilma Rousseff, which took place on Saturday.
The minister emphasized the economic and social development of Brazil over the last few years and the country’s increased participation in major international discussions. To him, nations such as Brazil, India, China and South Africa represent the interests of developing countries at global forums. “In Syria, we are proud of Brazil,” she said.
Kassab, in turn, claimed that he is “very proud” of his Arab origin – his grandparents were from Lebanon. The mayor stated that he would like to get to know Syria. The vast majority of the Arab community in São Paulo, and in Brazil, is of Syrian-Lebanese origin.
The meeting was attended by the secretary general of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, Michel Alaby, the International Relations secretary of the municipality, Guilherme Mattar, senator Alfredo Cotait Neto, the charges d’affaires of the Syrian embassy in Brasília, Ghassan Obeid, the Syrian vice consul to São Paulo, Firaz Al-Hanawi, and the orthodox archbishop of São Paulo, d. Damaskinos Mansour.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
