São Paulo – Ambassador Ruy Pacheco de Azevedo Amaral takes up, on the 26th, the head of the Brazilian diplomatic representation in Egypt. In a visit to the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce office, in São Paulo, this Monday (9th), he declared to ANBA that he sees the mission with “immense enthusiasm”, but is “aware of the challenges”.
“It’s an embassy that has great importance”, he said. In terms of business, the diplomat emphasized that Egypt is the largest destination of Brazilian products in Africa, representing more than 20% of what the country exports to the continent; and the third largest market among Arab nations, behind only Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
He pointed out that he plans to support the Brazilian businessmen that have deals with Egypt, but also support the exports of the Arab country to Brazil. “Egypt has a large trade deficit with Brazil, which could choke business. Good business is two-way business”, he said.
Amaral also said that the Cairo embassy is an important “post of political observation to Brazil”, given the weight carried by Egypt in the Middle East and North Africa. “The country is protagonist of one of the main political crisis of our days, with unpredictable ramifications”, he remarked, in reference to the Arab Spring and its effects.
The ambassador said that he believes that it’s possible to promote actions of bilateral cooperation in several sectors, such as agricultural, in which Brazil holds great experience; and social development, in which Brazil also created successful programs such as Bolsa Família, an income transfer program for low-income families.
“Egypt is adopting a policy that is trying to withdraw subsidies traditionally used in the food and energy sectors. They are on the right path, but to cut it ‘in cold blood’ is hard. They can try out a direct transfer of resources for the low-income populations”, he said. “It can be interesting [to cooperate in this issue], Brazil is in a position to help, it holds know-how in the subject”, he added.
Amaral is 57 years old, with 28 working at Itamaraty, and already held posts in diplomatic representations in Lisbon, Mexico, Paris, London and also had two experiences in Lebanon, the first in 1991, right after the civil war, and another in 2006, when he organized the withdrawal of Brazilians because of the Israeli attack in the South of the country. Before being assigned to the post in Cairo, the diplomat worked as Ibero-American assistant secretary in Madrid.
*Translated by Sérgio Kakitani
