São Paulo – During a meeting today (20th) in the Brazilian capital Brasília, the Jordanian minister of Industry and Trade, Amer Al-Hadidi, called on support from the Brazilian minister of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, Miguel Jorge, in order for the free trade agreement that the Arab country is negotiating with the Mercosur to be signed quickly. The next negotiation meeting is due September.
As informed by ANBA yesterday, the Jordanians want the treaty to be concluded while Brazil is still in the presidency of the South American bloc, i.e. in this half of the year. The Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Relations is in charge of trade-related negotiations, and the Brazilian Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade provides support.
According to information supplied by the Brazilian Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, Hadidi also suggested for the ministry to organize a business mission to Jordan this year. Miguel Jorge already has a trip to the Middle East scheduled for October. He will head a delegation of businessmen to the Arab countries in the Gulf.
Hadidi and Jordanian ministers Said Al-Masri (Agriculture) and Maha Khatib (Tourism) spent the day at meetings with Brazilian government officials. Masri, for instance, visited the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) and met with his Brazilian counterpart, Wagner Rossi.
According to information supplied by the Ministry of Agriculture, Masri told Rossi that Jordan wants to increase its imports of Brazilian products, including some that are not purchased by the country yet, such as dairy. Yesterday, in an interview to ANBA, the Jordanian minister had stated that he would discuss the matter at the meeting today.
Jordan is also interested in biofuels, the agricultural machinery and equipment industry, and exchange of agricultural research. Hadidi and Masri also met with the Brazilian minister of Science and Technology, Sérgio Rezende.
Minister Maha Khatib attended meetings with the Brazilian minister of Tourism, Luiz Barreto, and the president of the Brazilian Tourism Institute (Embratur), Jeanine Pires. According to information supplied by the Ministry of Tourism, she said once again that Brazil is one of the priorities of the Jordanian government’s strategy for promoting Jordan as a tourist destination.
She also attended a workshop with directors of several of the Ministry’s departments, so as to learn more about the programs that the Brazilian government is implementing in the sector.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
